Dawn of the Demons
by Pagan-Phoenix
Summary: NEW UPDATE November 2012: Chapter 19 is finally up. The Charmed Ones are piecing together the broken Triquetra one sister at a time. What will happen next? Please R & R. Thank you.
1. Prologue The Coming

_A/N: This is part two of my ongoing series. Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews and comments for Teacher's Pet. You guys are the best! By the way, I might not be able to update frequently, as my graduation is coming, and I need to prepare all of my papers and documents and stuff. But… I'll be updating as soon as I can._

_Hope you enjoy this as much as you've enjoyed Teacher's Pet!_

__

**Prologue - The Coming**

_A rumble of rhythmic chanting rose and fell deep inside the dark cave, ancient Latin words beating harshly against the old stone walls. Five small torches were rooted on the floor, forming a wide pentagram; their flames leapt high, bathing the dark cave in a faint orange glow and casting dancing shadows on the bodies of the three robed figures standing inside the pentagram of fire. The three figures continued chanting- their voices husky and hoarse, their arms raised over a large cauldron filled with water clear as crystal. _

_Soon, their power peaked, and a faint glow of reddish light emanated from their raised hands. As one, they plunged their hands deep into the cauldron, and within moments, its contents bubbled, slowly rising. They began another incantation as they spun in a circle, counterclockwise, the direction of banishing- their arms swirling inside the cauldron- and watched, their eyes burning with an insatiable hunger as the water boiled, a large gurgling sound echoing through the entire cave, and turned obsidian black. _

_After a heartbeat, they stopped as the cauldron hissed; black smoke rising from its mouth like a volcano after it had erupted. _

"_The time is near, sisters," one voice hissed, its voice old and jagged._

"_Yes, near," another echoed. _

"_Soon, we shall have her," the third announced, eyes meeting her sisters. "She will be ours- mind, body, and soul."_

_All three turned back to the cauldron and laughed, their voices shrill and ominous, its tone holding a promise of doom and death. In the center of the bubbling black liquid, a face, a young woman's face glimmered brightly- a witch's face._

"_Very, very soon, witch, you will be ours."_

… 

Phoebe sprinted, her footsteps thundering down through a narrow and dimly lit alley, its walls spray-painted with graffiti and gang symbols. The strong scent of garbage seeped from the nearby dumpsters and swirled all around her, overwhelming her and making her gag. _Ugh_! She thought, disgusted, and covered her nose with her left hand. She skidded to a stop when a rat the size of a three-year old kitten scuttled in front of her, squeaking as it ran to hide behind a dumpster.

Cringing, she resumed the chase, her shoes sloshed through mud and filth, splashing water as she stepped on murky puddles. _Damn it! These are 350-dollar shoes. _She looked down at her feet, and stifled a groan as she saw her perfect Jimmy Choos coated in grime, muck covering its once crimson red color. _You better hide, demon_. She continued to run, her sisters and her hot on the trail of an upper level demon who had conveniently shimmered in front of P3. Phoebe turned a sharp left, then suddenly stopped. She strained her ears, suddenly surprised at the sudden silence of the alley. Her breathing, heavy and hard, was the only sound that she heard. "Piper?" She whispered, looking around and trying to find her sisters. "Paige?"

Silence.

"Piper!" She called out a little strongly. "Paige!"

Not even the slosh of water puddles.

A slight movement in the shadows on the alley walls in front of her caught Phoebe's eye. Another movement, followed by a scream. Phoebe looked around, studying the narrow alley, body tensed. "Where are you guys?"

Another scream.

Gritting her teeth, all the tension in Phoebe's body sprung, and the next thing she knew, she was running again. Adrenaline pumped into her body, giving her muscles a boost, urging her to press onwards. Following the screams, she ran straight forward, turned right, and then ran straight forward again. She ran until her chest burned, forcing her to stop and take in gulps of oxygen. Looking around, Phoebe noticed that the alley was getting darker, narrower, more imposing. The scent of garbage was almost entirely gone, and was replaced by something else, something stronger, sharper. The scent was sweet and sticky, almost like honey, but heavier; and it was growing thicker with each passing second that Phoebe could almost taste it.

With a start, Phoebe realized that what she was smelling was blood. It hung warm and heavy in the air like a thick curtain, threatening to suffocate her. Fresh blood. Through her thick jacket, Phoebe shivered as she felt a chill run down her spine that traveled all over her body. Her stomach dropped, jumping around in a series of somersaults, as the intense smell attacked her nostrils.

She felt sick and wanted to throw up. _Man, having that piece of luncheon meat wasn't such a good idea_. Phoebe felt the linings of her mouth fill with saliva. It took Phoebe everything she had to keep her lunch in. Staggering, she leant on the wall for support, feeling its damp surface seep through her jacket. It felt moist against her palms, almost sticky. She pulled her hand back immediately, and gasped- her hand was covered with blood, ripe and almost black. She lost her balance and almost fell back, barely catching herself before she fell down on the wet pavement. _What…_Her mind was racing, heart beating wildly, trying to figure out what was going on. She looked to her left, and then to her right, hoping to see her sisters.

Nothing.

What she saw when she looked up made her gasp, her stomach suddenly turning in knots. The entire wall was oozing with rich, crimson blood. Through the hazy lighting from the street, Phoebe saw a message sprawled all over the wall in blood, smeared where she had laid her hand. Slowly, she followed the trail of blood on the wall, her eyes slowly moving. She made the letters W-I-T-C out, with a barely readable H where her hand had smudged across the wall. Her eyes followed the blood, upward, and read the letters D-I-E above "WITCH."

Her eyes went higher, and what she saw made her heart skip a beat. Fear and shock crawled all over her. Phoebe opened her mouth and screamed, her shrill voice piercing the still night air.

Above the message written in blood were Piper's and Paige's head, their eyes open, staring lifelessly at her.

Phoebe woke up with a start, her blood pounding in her eyes. Sweat beads trickled down her face, and her nightgown clung to her entire body. She was breathing heavily, her breaths jagged, like she had run an entire marathon. She choked back a sob, still feeling the lifeless gaze of her sisters' eyes in her dream still crawling down her spine, like a caterpillar.

It was the same dream that she'd had in the last two days.


	2. Chapter 1 Shadows and Light

_Golden flames flickered inside the dank cave, casting dancing shadows around the three hooded figures. Three pale faces stared at one another, a look of insatiable hunger burning in their eyes. As one, they lifted their hands over their bubbling cauldron, a dark crimson liquid brewing inside. They began to chant._

"_By the haze of the dead sun of the Vid'bed,_

_Rise now the power of the dead._

_Black power, come to do my bidding,_

_Send terror to the world of the living."_

_A black fog seeped from the cauldron, rising into the air like a heavy dream. It snaked upward and loomed over the three hooded figures, reaching higher and higher into the ceiling. It grew larger as it surged higher, casting a blanket of pure darkness around the entire cave, snuffing the flames as it went past them._

_And in the darkness, a voice hissed, "Soon…"_

…

Phoebe gripped the banister as she walked down to the living room, rubbing her eyes groggily. She was tired; her body heavy as lead. With effort, she padded down the wooden floor in her bunny pajamas, complete with fluffy bunny slippers. Light filtered through the windows and cast small pools of bright sunshine on the floor, causing Phoebe to squint. The smell of coffee, once warm and inviting, now hung intrusively and bitter in the air. She covered her nose with the sleeve of her pajamas as it wafted over her when she reached the last step. She slowly made her way to the kitchen and saw that her sisters, Piper and Paige, were up and about, bustling inside the well-maintained kitchen. Paige was busy spreading jam on toast, and Piper was washing the china. Leftover food from last night's dinner- tuna casserole and chicken fingers- was tucked inside plastic containers that were lined up on the kitchen counter. Everything was bustling and alive. Phoebe groaned.

"Morning, sis!" Paige said, a little too cheerfully for Phoebe's taste.

"Yeah, morni..." Piper stopped, mid-greeting, as her eyes swept over Phoebe. Phoebe's eyes were puffy, and there were black circles under them; she looked paler than usual, and tired. There was no other word for it. She looked drawn and exhausted, like she hadnt slept for days. "Phoebe, are you okay?" Concern filled her voice. She reached for Phoebe's forehead, intending to check for fever.

A faint shadow washed over Phoebe, enveloping her in an icy grip. Phoebe gasped internally, as if overwhelmed by a premonition; however, this time, nothing came, nothing but a blackness behind her eyes and the feeling of emptiness. In a heartbeat, the shadow was gone, fleeing as soon as it had come. Phoebe blinked rapidly and was surprised to see Piper's hand on her forehead. Without thinking, she slapped it away.

"I'm fine," she said, a little too grumpy than she intended, her tone sharp and angry. She was fuming and glaring at Piper, but she didn't know why. "I'm sorry, Piper," she apologized after seeing the confusion, and hurt, in her sister's eyes. She was about to reach out to her sister and say more, when the same shadow passed over her. Another flash of intense cold, and "Don't ever touch me like." Her voice cold steel, slicing through the calm morning. "Ever." And as soon as it came, it slipped away, again, undetected and invisible. Piper just stood there, momentarily stunned.

"Where did that come from?" Paige said from across the kitchen. She had finished spreading jam on her toast, the jam oozing red and sticky down the side of the toasted bread, and placed it on her plate. She hurriedly capped the jar of strawberry jam and eagerly grabbed for her toast.

Phoebe was staring at the piece of toast as Paige was busy re-capping the jar. The jam was sliding one side of it, crimson red and sticky. Another flash. Phoebe saw the images from her dream again, vivid and loud. She felt her pulse thundering as the images of Piper's and Paige's eyes stared lifelessly at her, blood dripping down their mouths. And then, the images were gone as soon as they had come.

Before Paige could even touch the sandwich, Phoebe made a gagging sound, as if she were going to throw up. "Get that thing out of my sight," she said, each syllable louder than the first. "Now."

"What?" Paige asked, staring at Phoebe while her hand was playing at the corners of the kitchen table. "Why? I haven't had anything to eat yet!"

"I don't care. Just-get-that-thing-out-of-my-sight." Phoebe hissed through gritted teeth, her anger flowing in waves.

Paige began to protest, when Phoebe strode to her in three heavy strides. She jerked the plate away from the table, and, to her sisters' surprise, threw it on the kitchen sink. The green and white plate smashed, causing tiny pieces of broken ceramic to rain down on the untouched piece of toast.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Paige asked, fear creeping along her voice, making it come out a little shrill. She stared at Phoebe with wide eyes, as if expecting her to grow horns and a tail.

Piper was also staring at her, her brown eyes wide with curiousity, studying Phoebe and her sudden outburst. "Phoebe?"

Phoebe was suddnely shaking, her head bowed down; her hair covered her entire face, hiding her. A choked sob escaped her throat and she began to cry, hot tears streaming down her face. Her shoulders rose and fell rhythmically, her cries muffled. She tried to find her voice, to try and explain herself, but found that she could not. "I...I..."

Piper and Paige walked over to Phoebe, their brows furrowed with worry.

_What's going on_? Paige thought, sending the message telepathically to Piper. The Charmed Ones had just found out that Paige could send telepathic messages after she had been kidnapped by a fellow professor in Magic School three weeks ago. However, this gift was limited only to her sisters, she could not send messages to others.

_That's what i'd like to find out_, Piper sent her message. She put a protective arm around Phoebe, reassuring her without words that everything would be all right, that her sisters were there with her.

Phoebe looked up, the familiar warmth of Piper's touch enveloped her. "I'm sorry, Piper, Paige... But I..." She said in between barely contained sobs. She was about to tell them her dreams, when a loud explosion sounded from the basement, a small tremor rocking the entire house.

"The hell?" Piper said, swinging her head in the direction of the basement door.

Phoebe wiped her face with the back of her hand, and inhaled. "The Charmed Ones' work is never done," she sniffled and looked at her sisters.

Paige took both Piper's right hand, and Phoebe's left, and nodded. "Let's go."

And with that, she orbed the three of them towards the basement, towards the face of some unknown demon.


	3. Chapter 2 Attack of Poison Chalice

_A/N: Hi guys! i am sorry it took so long for me to update! work has piled on and on. anywho, i hope you guys are still with me. here is Chapter 2 for you:)_

_Gusts of winds howled angrily inside the dark cave, screaming as if escaping the dark rumble of chanted from deep within. The three figures stood in a tight triangle, robed arms interlocked with each other, and cast ancient words of summoning. A thick, black liquid boiled within the cauldron that lay at the center of their unholy triangle, bubbling and threatening to spill to the surface. _

_Their voice rose in unison, and the winds howled louder, piercing the very space within the cave._

"_Rise," commanded the first figure, its pale lips quivering in calculated anticipation, "rise from the depths of the seventh circle of Hell."_

"_With the essence and souls of thirteen fallen witches," screamed the other, eyes staring intently into the cauldron, "We summon you to do our bidding. Rise from the depths and spread your evil!"_

_The third pointed a finger and growled, "Let the black cloud of your essence shower over the innocents and claim their souls!"_

_Dark energy flowed among the three robed figures as they chanted louder, their power building as they cast their spell. A tremor shook the cave, causing the liquefied essence of the witches to splatter all over the cavern floor. The winds howled in agony, the sound of the witches' souls being pierced and skewered. _

_Still they chanted._

"_Rise from the depths of the seventh circle of hell,_

_Heed now the words of our summoning spell._

_Evil spill forth, feel our power,_

_Poison Chalice, rise now in this unholy hour!"_

_The puddle of black liquid that lay in their feet began to move, slowly and uncertainly. It spread wider, in a circular pattern, bubbling loudly. The three figures continued to chant, their voices growing stronger, their dark energy intensifying around them. With one final verse, they released one another and broke their triangle, and with the index fingers of their left hands, traced intricate runes over their heads. _

"_Rise!" They screamed. "Rise!" They continued their spell, summoning from the depths of Hell and pulling their demon with their dark magick. _

_A shrill scream broke through from the center of the black puddle. Then, the puddle began to move, solidifying and rising slowly into the air, forming a sphere of pure black energy. It wriggled and shook, painfully taking shape. In three heartbeats, it began to roughly take the form and outline of a woman, a mass of breasts forming at the center of its chest and a pair of legs sprouting from its lower half. A pair of hands erupted at its sides, fists clenching uncontrollably. A head followed, long silky black hair flowing at its sides. Finally, a pair of wings, its feathers black as ink and sharp as blades, sprang from its back. _

"_Awaken," the three figures chanted, their voices heavy with anticipation, "Awaken now, Poison Chalice!"_

_The eyes of the creature that stood in the center of the three figures opened and looked from one pale face to the next. Recognizing their magick as the one that summoned her, Poison Chalice bowed, and in a metallic voice, "Mistresses, how may I serve you?"_

"_Find the witches, and kill them."_

_Flapping her wings, Poison Chalice simply smiled, and took flight, extinguishing the flames from the torches that lit the entire cave and effectively bathing the cave in total darkness._

"_Soon…"_

Chapter 2 

_This is not going well, _Piper thought as she dove behind the burning couch, barely dodging the energy ball hurled her way. Blood trickled from her forehead to her mouth, the coppery taste of blood filling her taste buds. Ignoring the pain that shot through her entire body, she tried to stand, and found that she could not. Piper bit on her lips and winced as another wave of pain overwhelmed her, as she discovered her left ankle was twisted. She gritted her teeth. _So not well._

The battle had erupted as soon as they had orbed, with the mysterious demon almost killing them off the instant they materialized. The last thing that Piper remembered after orbing down to the basement was the demon flying towards them, its black wings flapping at a blinding speed, and hurling all three of them at three different directions. She was hurled into a far wall, hitting it face first, her forehead receiving most of the impact. She had been momentarily taken out of the fight.

Dazed, Piper closed her eyes, images swimming in front of her, and colors blurring into a mass of unidentifiable pictures. Muttering a minor healing incantation, her nausea disappeared, and she was able to witness her sisters engaged in combat with the demon.

Paige was telekinetically orbing athames and energy ball back to the demon, but her efforts hardly it. The athames and energy balls she hurled harmlessly passed through the demon's body like a ghost passing through a wall, colliding with the opposite wall, and caused minor explosions to shake the basement of the Manor.

Phoebe was aiming her fists precisely at the demon, hitting its black body with all her might; however, the demon was merely shrugging her off. Her fists connected, but it felt like hitting a huge glob of slime; with every blow, her hands sank deeper and deeper into its gelatinous body. She tried to pull her hands free, struggling with all her might, but to no avail. "Piper, Paige, I'm stuck!" She cried out, calling on to her sisters. Suddenly, before she could call out to them once more, the demon grabbed Phoebe by the throat, and flapped its wings, soaring to the low ceiling, and dragging the Charmed One with her.

"Phoebe!" Paige and Piper both called in unison.

Paige rushed forward, athame in hand, when the demon telekinetically hurled her back with a wave of its hand. She landed, hard, on her side a few inches away from Piper with an audible thud.

"Paige!" Piper crawled to Paige's side, and cried out in horror. Blood seeped from the youngest Charmed One's stomach, slowly forming a pool around her; she was impaled by one of the swords that they tried to use against the demon.

"Aaahh!" Phoebe screamed in agony from across the room, swinging Piper's attention back to her. Phoebe was still caught in the demon's grip, her feet dangling dangerously with nothing but broken shards of glass and the hard floor under her.

The demon's claws dug mercilessly into Phoebe's throat, and blood trickled from her neck where the demon pierced her. Her thin lips curled into a smirk, and her black eyes gleamed. Two black orbs bore into Phoebe's eyes, malice and hatred spilling so strongly that Phoebe's empathic powers picked the strong emotions. She began to burn from the inside-out, the negative energy spilling forth from the demon's eyes in waves, and started to shake. "Piper," her voice came out unevenly, each breath ragged as her body shook under the tremendous black energy sent by the demon.

Phoebe's vision began to blur, and she felt herself slowly slipping into unconsciousness. She was about to black out, when suddenly, a premonition rocked her. Her eyes closed, and her eyeballs rolled back into her head. In slow motion, she "saw" in her mind's eye Piper blowing the demon up with her powers. The demon exploded from within, freeing Phoebe from its grip. However, instead of being vanquished, it dissolved into tiny, million black particles. Her premonition flashed, and she saw Piper slumped on the floor beside a bleeding Paige, eyes staring emptily into space.

"Phoebe?" Piper was starting to panic- beside her, Paige was lying in a pool of her own blood, and before her, Phoebe was shaking so strongly that she could hear her teeth grinding into one another. _I've got to do something,_ she thought, near hyperventilation. Unable to think of an alternative, she thrust her hands out, planning to blow the demon up from within. At that exact moment, Phoebe's eyes snapped open.

Seeing what Piper was about to do, Phoebe screamed, her voice shrill. "Piper, no!" The last word carried out, as if in slow motion. She stared in horror, mouth wide open in an O shape, as Piper's energy blast connected. The demon's entire body vibrated and its grip loosened on Phoebe's neck. Its body momentarily turned into a pure black liquid, dropping Phoebe to the wooden floor. Blood began to soak her bunny pajamas as she landed on broken shards of glass, which cut into her whole body.

A high pitched scream pierced Piper's and Phoebe's ears as the demon's body began to separate into hundreds of tiny black molecules, reflecting what Phoebe saw in her premonition. Then, the black molecules floated and stretched, flattening into disks. Without warning, the small disks swarmed towards Piper like bees, and dove into her body violently, forcing their way into her nose, mouth, and ears.

Piper clawed wildly at her neck, suffocating. She was screaming inside, but no sound came out, instead a loud gurgling sound came from her throat. She felt her entire body fill with thick goo, her lungs blocked out. Then, just as soon as it had begun, it stopped.

Piper slumped lifeless on the floor, beside a bleeding Paige.

Across the basement, Phoebe stared, darkness eating away at her vision. "Leo," she managed to whisper, as the darkness consumed and overwhelmed her.


	4. Chapter 3 The Tale of Morgania Warren

"_In this time, and this unholy hour,_

_Soon, we shall have the witches' power._

_Mountains will bow, the land will cower,_

_The Triumvirate's magick shall reign forever!"_

_The three robed figures chanted. Again, they were standing, hand in hand, eyes closed within their dark triangle, over their scrying cauldron. The cauldron was filled with a dark purple liquid, so opaque that it almost seemed solid; in its center laid Piper's pale face. Their chant rose and fell, their voices lingering in the center of the cave, echoing loudly and menacingly around them. The torches burned in their sconces, but the flames drew away from them, as if the very element of fire itself was terrified of the magick that these three figures conjured. Despite the bright light, the cave was ice cold, a blanket of chill seeping through every hole in the cave._

"_Fallen, the witch sleeps eternal in the mist," one of the dark figures hissed, pointing at the scrying cauldron. "Soon, her life force shall cease to exist." Her hands curled around the hood of her robe, its bony fingers clutching the black fabric with anticipation, and pulled, revealing a face with skin peeling of from its skull. _

"_Poison Chalice had done her deed," added the other, her voice raspy, "Soon, we shall feed." She pulled her robe off as well, exposing a face with skin torn and bloody; scabs ran the length of her face from forehead to chin._

"_The soul of the witch is almost ours," sang the third, "Soon, we shall add to ours their Charmed powers."_

_The three began to weave their next spell, slowly continuing their work. The first figure motioned with her hand, and traced the rune of death over the scrying cauldron. "Now that the eldest has fallen, our bodies will now awaken. Feed us now with her white magick, strengthen now our darkest magicks." _

_The three began the forbidden Dance of Death, a dark ritual that drained the life essence of its target. _

"_Heed now the call of the children of death,_

_Pull now the Charmed witch's last breath."_

"_The link has been severed," the three whispered, "Their world shall now spin asunder." The wind howled again, and their laughter echoed through the entire cave, dousing the flames and leaving the cave in darkness._

**Chapter 3**

"Leo, what's taking so long?" Phoebe said as she gripped Piper's hand tighter. She stayed kneeling beside her sister's still body, watching her whitelighter-slash-brother-in-law work his magick on her. She saw beads of sweat forming on Leo's forehead, his brows furrowed in total concentration, as he eased his healing light into Piper's body. "Leo?"

Phoebe brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail with her free hand. She looked at Leo with a mixture of gratitude and worry. He had come in at the nick of time, healing both her and Paige's wounds. _Now, if only he can fix Piper up,_ she thought anxiously.

Paige was standing beside their cauldron, persistently brewing another batch of healing potions for Piper. So far, she and Phoebe had tried nine different batches. None of them had worked. They had even tried nutmeg and bay leaf, two of the strongest herbs of healing, to no avail. She had also cast every spell that they can think of, from the simplest Awakening spell to the most complex Body Switching spell; still, Piper remained unconscious, pale and almost lifeless. She knew that Leo was their last hope. And as Paige glanced over the Book and watched Leo's face grow slack, she knew that hope was not on their side.

Leo's hands glowed weakly, and then eventually faded into nothing. "Damn it!" Leo cried in frustration. He stood and kicked the couch nearest to him, his usual calm manner suddenly growing to anger. Phoebe and Paige looked at him at the same time, shocked at his outburst. "My power is not working. Something… something is blocking me out. Every time I find a connection, I get pushed out. I… I." He ran his hands over his head, and pulled thick strands of his hair in frustration. Through gritted teeth, he added, "I can't do a damn thing. She's still in a coma."

"No," Phoebe said, her voice scratchy and her eyes welling again with fresh tears. "No, I will not allow this to happen. There has to be a way to solve this." She wiped her face furiously, and got up to her feet. She bent down and gingerly planted a kiss on Piper's forehead, a single tear rolling down her cheek. She gently rested Piper's hand on her still chest, and turned to walk over to Paige.

However, before taking another step, icy fingers rolled over Phoebe's spine. Without warning, her head suddenly turned back to Leo. "We'll find a way to fix this without you, you useless whitelighter!"

Leo's head whipped to one side as if he had been slapped. Phoebe's words cut through him to the core, and his guilt for failing her wife, and her sisters, rose.

"Phoebe!" Paige exclaimed from behind the cauldron. She could see the pain in Leo's eyes. She quickly went to Phoebe and grabbed her arm, yanking her backward. "What's the matter with you?"

She pulled her arm free from Paige and continued, her eyes narrowed into slits. "I will not lose another sister because of you, Leo. I will not lose Piper. Go orb to your Elders and demand a cure for her." Through gritted teeth, she added, "Orb. Now."

Hurt, Leo turned away and disappeared into orbs of tiny white light.

Phoebe turned as well, and went to the podium that supported the massive Book of Shadows, flipping frantically through its weathered pages for a spell, a solution, anything, to wake the eldest Charmed One, as the youngest Charmed One stood gaping, eyes wide.

Phoebe felt Paige's eyes digging through her skull, but she didn't say anything. Though she herself was surprised at her sudden outburst, she did not feel the need to explain herself. She was not going to lose Piper. _I will not lose another sister._ She continued to flip through the pages of the Book, when her eyes fell on the picture of the demon that they had just vanquished. "Here!" She exclaimed, pointing at the fearsome picture of the demon and turning the podium so that Paige could have a better look.

"Poison Chalice," Paige began to read, the fine hairs on her arms immediately standing as her eyes rolled from one line of text to the next. "A demonic assassin that can only be summoned by the most evil of forces. Extremely powerful, said to be borne from the essence of murdered Witches. Her body is malice solidified."

"That explains what I picked up from her," Phoebe said, remembering the excruciating pain that shot through her entire body while she was caught in the demon's grip. She picked up from where Paige left off, eyes widening in horror as she read. "Indestructible, Poison Chalice had destroyed nine covens, including mine."

Phoebe slowly realized that this was a journal entry written by one of their ancestors._ But by whom? _"Only Constantina and I are left." _Constantina…Constantina. _She let the name roll in her head. Phoebe was certain that she had read about her in the Warren line, but she could not remember where.

"Uh, Phoebes? Who's Constantina?" Paige asked, her head tilted to one side. "Who do you think wrote this?"

"Constantina, wait. She sounds familiar. Constantina… Constantina. Where have I…" She paused, her mind slowly rolling over a mental checklist of Warren witches that she and Piper had studied about years ago while browsing through the family tree. Suddenly, the name rang into her head and she saw, in her mind's eye, the name on top of Constantina's entry. "I got it! According to the family history, she was the only Warren witch who died young and was never able to practice her powers. This entry was written by Morgania Warren."

"Oh," Paige said, and remembered her from the history lessons she received from Piper back when she discovered that she was a witch. _Piper._ _Hang on._ She continued reading, desperately looking for something that could help them. "It came out of nowhere, a shadow of Death that came to devour us all. Steeling myself for what I thought to be as the last battle, I summoned the great Ifrit, Spirit of Flame, with all the magick left in me, to burn the demon and, through the Spirit's cleansing breath, purge the land of Poison Chalice's evil. At first, I thought that I had succeeded. The demon twisted as flames overwhelmed it, writhing and thrashing. Then, much to my horror, it dissolved, turning itself into small molecules, and attacking my Constantina." Paige paused, blood suddenly pumping through her veins.

"As I write this, Constantina is shivering with fever, crippled by the poison of this devil spawn. And I, for all the Warren magick that course through me, am powerless to heal my beloved daughter. Whitelighter magick has failed, and neither my powers nor my potions are having any effect. Goddess save us."

Fear wormed its way into Paige's and Phoebe's gut, making their stomach clench with tension. The reason Leo and their spells and potions failed was simple: Poison Chalice was immune to all of it. Their magick was not enough to destroy it.

Phoebe turned the page slowly, hands trembling as she and Paige read what had happened to their ancestor. The next entry was dated two days after the first entry, and Paige could not help but wonder what had happened during the interval. "Constantina is lying so still, her cheeks and lips so pale; her breathing pained and shallow," she continued.

"Constantina does not have much time left. Where is that damned scroll?" Phoebe read, and noticed that this one line was written heavily, the ink on the yellowed page dark and bold. _Scroll? _A small flicker of hope lit within her. _What scroll?_ "Maria promised that there is a cure. The Elders, useless as they are, promised that there was one." Despite the circumstances, she smirked. _Seems like Warren witches are not the Elders' biggest fans._ The word "Elders" was written distastefully- curves ran through the word and ink blotted out most of its edges.

Paige looked up, her eyes sparkling, not with tears, but with a renewed strength and determination. "Phoebes…" She held her breath.

"Yeah," Phoebe nodded, mirroring her sister's thoughts and feeling her resolve get stronger. _There was a cure for this._

"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Paige said, walking towards the chest where they kept most of their magickal tools.

"Oh yes," she said, grim determination on her face, and opened the chest behind her, grabbing a bottle of gray powder that was labeled "graveyard dirt" and a black and purple altar cloth. "It's time to summon great-great-great-great-great Aunt Morgania."


	5. Chapter 4 The Scroll

A/N: Eramay, CharmedChick, Up, and Girl, thank you so much for the kind words! that really inspired me and made my day! here is Chapter 4 for you, guys! I hope you'll enjoy it!

Blessed Be!

"_Now the link is broken," the first sister screamed. "Our power shall soon awaken."_

"_The first lay dying," the second added maliciously, "the one we seek is ours for the picking."_

"_She is ripe and open," the third chanted. "Now is the time to claim our chosen!"_

…

"The curse of Poison Chalice consumes its victim in three days," Morgania Warren answered curtly, her transparent body floating on the black altar cloth that served as Phoebe and Paige's makeshift portal into the Spirit Realm. Her transparent face held a taut expression, a sign that she was clearly displeased at being summoned. "On the third day, the body rots, and the spirit is taken to the Netherworld, never to be seen or felt again."

"What?" Paige and Phoebe cried out in alarm.

"You can't be serious," Paige said, pulse hammering in her chest. "Three days?"

"If you do not believe me," Morgania began, eyes narrowing at Paige, "Check for yourself. Your sister is already burning with fever. Just like what happened to my poor, innocent Constantina."

Phoebe sprang from her seat, causing her chair to topple backwards, and rushed towards Piper. She knelt by her sister's side and checked her forehead, which was slick and slippery with sweat. Morgania was right; Piper was burning. Hair clung in wet clumps to her wet forehead, and her mouth was slightly open. Phoebe heard small wheezing sounds coming from Piper. "She's right. Piper is burning, and she's having difficulty breathing."

"Of course I am right. I have seen, first hand, what the curse can do. Have I not lived through this horror? Do not dare to question my judgment again."

"How do we fix this?" Paige asked, her voice trembling in fear.

"What makes you think that there is a solution?" Morgania asked her back, leering at Paige. Though the all the windows in the attic were closed, her clothes, although transparent, were whipping from side to side, as if being blown by a gust of wind.

"We know that there is a scroll," Phoebe said. "According to the Book of Shadows, your Whitelighter promised you that there is a cure for this."

"So there is. But why should I help you?" Morgania began to scream, her voice rising. "Why should your sister be saved, when my poor, sweet daughter was forsaken?" Her voice echoed through the entire attic, and small objects began to fly around. The pages of the Book of Shadows began to turn, and glass jars containing different herbs fell from their shelves. "Why? Why should I help your sister when all your Elders did was to take my daughter away from me? What makes her deserving?"

Phoebe felt anger surge through her like molten lava, filling her with a rage that caused the veins on her head to throb and pound mercilessly. She stood and strode over to the circle of candles that served to support Morgania's spirit. "Why?" Phoebe bellowed. "Why? Because she is a Charmed One, you bitter old ghost. Because she has risked her life to save this world more times than you can imagine. Because she has dedicated her life to protecting the good and the innocent. Because she has triumphed over innumerable battles to ensure that evil doesn't win over good."

Paige noticed that Phoebe was panting, her breathing jagged and erratic. She quickly stood up and went to her sister's side. She stared hard into the transparent figure of her ancestress' face, and felt nothing but anger towards her.

"Because she has fought for so long for too many times. Because she has sacrificed her own life to ensure that our line prevails and doesn't stop with the three of us! That makes her deserving of your help. Let's disregard the fact that she is your descendant, you resentful old hag. We would rather sacrifice ourselves to demons rather than be associated with you!"

With one swift motion, she bent her ankle and kicked one of the candles hard. The flame sputtered and wax scattered as it hit one of the main walls of the attic. With the circle broken, Morgania's spirit began to fade, until it eventually dissolved into tiny orbs of light, amidst screams of protests.

Phoebe stood in front of the broken circle, chest heaving with a mixture of anger and frustration, shaking with rage. Her cheeks were flushed. Inhaling deeply, she muttered, "Well, I think that went well." Releasing the breath that she didn't even realize that she was holding and counting backwards from five to one, she bent and started to pick the candles when a shower of white orbs appeared inside the magic circle again. She yelped in surprise when a scroll materialized in the center of the circle, its edges black and weathered.

_What?_ Phoebe gingerly extended a hand and pulled the scroll towards her. She felt its rough, weathered texture in her hand, and felt herself being pulled into another premonition. Blurry images flashed inside her mind's eye, accompanied by muffled sounds.

_"Constantina!" The voice from inside her premonition cried out. "Hold on, child! The remedy, it is… almost complete!" Morgania, alive and solid, Phoebe saw, was forcefully grinding herbs in a mortar and pestle. She saw desperation in the Warren witch's eyes as she simultaneously studied the scroll in front of her and ground the herbs into a fine powder. The scent of rosemary filled her nostrils, as if she were there._

_From behind her, Phoebe heard someone crying out in pain, shrieking in agony._

_"Fight it, Constantina!" Morgania screamed above her daughter's cries. "You are a Warren. Fight it!"_

Another flash, and all the screams were gone. Phoebe opened her eyes and found herself in the attic once more. She turned to find Paige watching her, and grinned.

"Pull out your black conical hat, sis," Phoebe said, "Time to brew ourselves something fierce."


	6. Chapter 5 Heal the Witch

"_Phoebe? Paige?" Piper's voice echoed around her, as she forced herself to remain calm. "Where are you?" _

_Where the hell am I? She woke several minutes ago, her head heavy, and found herself lying on a four poster bed, literally in the middle of nowhere. Fog, gray and thick enough to be sliced by a knife, surrounded her and stretched out as far as her eyes can see, obscuring her vision. She shivered and, looking down, realized that she was naked, with only a silver medallion hanging loosely on her neck. She mentally wished for her jacket, and yelped in surprise when a robe suddenly materialized around her._

_Okay, something tells me I'm not in Kansas anymore. She swung her feet over to the edge of the bed, and, for the third time, was surprised when she discovered that the floor was, albeit cold, solid. _

_She gathered the robe and tied it around her waist. She gingerly held the medallion and examined it, her heart beating as she saw their symbol, the triquetra, etched on its surface. A blanket of warmth and a sense of safety washed over her; still, her guards were still up, her senses slowly heightening at any lurking danger. _

_Okay, Piper, calm down, inhale, breathe. She took a deep breath, briefly noting that the air smelled like roses, and counted from one to ten. She closed her eyes and tried to remember what she can. She remembered fighting a demon with her sisters in the attic, blowing the demon up, and that was all. What happened after her vanquishing the demon was a blank; her mind was as foggy as her surroundings._

"_Phoebe?" Piper called out again. "Paige?" She tentatively took a step, half-expecting a hole to appear and swallow her. She took another step, and another, and then another, feeling relieved with each step. Whew, okay. Floor good. _

"_Pi-per." A voice whispered out to her, so softly that Piper didn't hear it at first. "Pi-per."_

"_Who's there?" She turned, her straight brown hair swinging to one side. _

"_Pi-per," the voice grew stronger, more audible. "Come-to-me."_

_Her brain slowly fixed on the sound and tone of the mysterious voice, trying to recognize the voice, which she oddly found familiar. _

"_Pi-per."_

_Finally, it struck her._

"_Prue?"_

…

"They're all here, ready and set," Paige said, as she arranged the vials and glass jars of various herbs and crystals that she had orbed from the kitchen on the table they recently added to the attic. "Here's all of what we might need."

Phoebe was standing beside her, studying the old scroll. She had her reading glasses on again, something which she thought she would never do anymore. Running her eyes down the scroll, she let out a whistle. "Whoo-boy! I think we have a lot of work ahead of us, Paige. According to the scroll, the remedy for the Curse lies in three separate parts."

"What? Three parts?"

"Uh-huh, listen to this," Phoebe nodded and, adjusting her glasses, read from the scroll, "The first part halts the poison's progress, preventing the corruption of the internal organs. It supplements the second, which purges the body completely of the poison from without and within. The second part, in turn, strengthens the third, which stabilizes the body. The third and final step completes the first, binding the healing potion and the body together."

"Great," Paige muttered. "We're going to perform magical chemo on our sister."

"And here's the beautiful part," Phoebe said, shaking her head. She read aloud, "Each part is to be applied to the afflicted each day. Give her two parts and the body combusts; give her less than what is required, and the poison spreads rapidly."

Paige threw her arms up in exasperation. "Any more surprises?"

"Hmmm, let's see. If you consider disappearing letters and words a surprise, then yeah." Phoebe felt another surge of heat coursing through her.

"What?" Paige went to stand behind Phoebe, and peered over her sister's shoulder. Phoebe was right. Some of the words from the second part of the remedy, and almost all of the ingredients from the third part were either blurry, or down right gone.

"Damn it! How are we supposed to save Piper in three days when the only source of hope we have is bailing on us!" Phoebe exclaimed. She looked upwards, her eyes behind her glasses livid. "Why are you doing this to us? Ran out of entertainment up there?"

Paige reached out and stroked Phoebe's back gently. "Phoebes, calm down. Look, we at least have the first part, right? Without it, we can't proceed on to the two parts anyway. So," she paused and took a deep breath, "let's proceed on to brewing the first part first, and worry about the two parts later. And bright side? Most of the ingredients that we need for the first part of the potion are right on the table."

Inhaling deeply, Phoebe removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "You're right. You're right. Okay, let's do this." She took Paige's hand and said, "For Piper."

Paige nodded and went back to the table lined with herbs and crystals, with Phoebe, "For Piper."


	7. Chapter 6 Day One

"_Prue?" Piper called out, her heart beating frantically inside her chest. "Prue, is that you?"_

"_Yes," Prue's voice answered, "Hur-ry, Pi-per._ _Fol-low my voice to the light."  
_

"_Light? What light?" She turned right, following what she thought to be Prue's voice. "Prue, what…" She never got to finish her question, as a pinprick of golden white light appeared in front of her, growing bigger with each step ._

"_Hur-ry, Pi-per. It is al-most here. Hur-ry…"_

"_It?" Piper asked, "What is 'it'?"_

"_The Soul-Eater. Run, Pi-per. There's not much time."_

_Piper opened her mouth to ask more, when she felt something sticky coiling up her leg. She looked down and screamed when she saw a purple tentacle was slithering up her leg like a snake. She screamed harder when it tightened its grip, and pulled her backward. Piper lost her balance, and fell face first. _

"_Prue!"_

_She tried to grab onto something, but there was nothing solid to hold on to. Mustering her strength, she twisted her body to see what had grabbed her, expecting to see a mass of vine, or maybe a snake. However, what she saw caught her by surprise, and she screamed again._

_Standing beside her was a demon that she had never seen before. It had the upper body of a woman, and a lower body of an octopus. Its entire body was covered in blue scales, which shimmered lightly in the mist that swirled around her. Hunger burned in its eyes, its teeth bared in a tight snarl. Piper realized that it was one of its tentacles that was dragging her backwards._

"_I don't think so, bitch," Piper shouted. She thrust her hands out, and was relieved to find out that her powers worked, when the tentacle exploded. _

_The demon screamed in agony. Her other tentacles thrashed around wildly, thick orange goo oozing down the wounded tentacle. _

_Using the momentary distraction, Piper scrambled to her feet and ran as fast as she could to the light. Despite her momentary relief, her confusion over where she was and what she was doing in the middle of nowhere fueled the anger and frustration that was bubbling in her. "You have a hell of a lot of explaining to do, Prue, or whoever you are!" _

_She growled into the space around her and ran as fast as she could. _

"Those who seek to fight the poison,

Brew now this healing potion.

One potion divided into three,

Bind them together and set the innocent free."

Phoebe ran her eyes down the rhyme, squinting occasionally. "Okay, so that explains the three parts of the potion." She continued to read.

"The first shall halt the poison's growth,

It serves as the first antidote.

Gather and prepare these herbs of power,

Bind them together under the sacred hour.

From Mother Gaia's womb, and Pan's seed1,

Collect the following that you shall need."

Phoebe paused to take a breath, and continued.

"Boil now the Herb of Grace2,

Protection from Darkness it shall raise."

"Herb of Grace?" Phoebe turned to Paige, confused. "Any idea what that is?"

"I don't have the faintest i…" She was about to continue when the Book of Shadows suddenly flipped open; its weathered pages turning by themselves. "…dea." She cocked an eyebrow at Phoebe in a should-I-take-a-look gesture, turning to the Book as Phoebe nodded. Her eyes scanned the page it opened to, and she smiled. "I guess Aunt Morgania decided to help out after all."

"Really?"

The Book opened to a page that was decorated with green ink. The words Herb of Grace were written in a smooth calligraphy in pale green ink, its description and properties written in a fine manuscript below. "Yeah, listen to this, the Herb of Grace is known to the mundane world as Rue. This powerful herb is often associated with the Harvest Lord3, protecting those who invoke its powers. I think we still have rue here."

She turned to the table and scanned the labels on the glass bottles, and picked a bottle labeled "rue." She uncapped the bottle and shook the herb out gently; and, carefully dropped it into their cauldron. She set a match underneath, and waited until the water inside the cauldron boiled. "Herb of Grace, check. What's next on the list?"

"Okay," Phoebe said, hope rising. "Let's see."

"Mix the powders of St. John's Wort with Fennel4,

These two shall weaken the forces of the Devil."

"St. John's Wort, check," Paige announced cheerfully, "Fennel, check." She picked two bottles containing what she was looking for, and laid the contents into the mortar and pestle. She began to pound on the herbs in a clockwise manner, the direction of invitation and of invocation; in this case, she was inviting the power of the herbs into the potion. She felt their power rising and gently touching her aura, and a feeling of security enveloped her. "Phoebes, this is very powerful stuff. We really should try combining these with our spells."

"Hmm," Phoebe said, thinking of the possibilities. Suddenly, another chill ran through Phoebe. In the next second, she was glaring at Paige. "Don't tell me what to do, Paige. I've been a witch longer than you have."

Paige stared at Phoebe, jaw hanging open. "I'm sorry?" She dropped the mortar and pestle gently on the table among the bottles of herbs, and crossed her arms. Something close to anger trickled into Paige, and she felt her face turning slowly to red.

Phoebe's vision swam as another chill ran through her body. It was the same feeling whenever she had a premonition, the pull of magic that sent her through the vision. But this time, nothing came except for the cold. Extreme cold. Her eyes were momentarily unfocused, and she felt dizzy. She grabbed on to the podium that held the Book of Shadows for support. "I…I'm sorry, Paige. I…I didn't mean anything by that." She shut her eyes tightly and shook her head.

Paige's mood shifted quickly from near-anger to concern when she saw her sister slumped and pale. "Are you all right?" Paige asked, walking over to stand beside Phoebe in three quick strides. She laid a hand on Phoebe's back to support her.

"I'm fine," Phoebe said shakily. "A little light-headed, but I'm okay. Listen, Paige? I'm sorry about what I said. I don't know what got into me. But ever since those weird dreams began, I've been getting these weird flashes. It's like," she paused, trying to get the right words. "It's like getting premonitions, but instead of being pulled into a vision, I get sucked into this cold place. A really cold and dark place."

Paige pulled Phoebe close and rubbed her sister's shoulder, an unconscious, protective gesture. She steered Phoebe to the closest couch and pulled her against her, so they were sitting side by side, with Phoebe resting on Paige's arm. "Why don't you sit here for a while and let me brew up something for you? There's a potion recipe in the Book of Shadows that can induce peaceful sleep; want me to make it for you?"

Phoebe rubbed her eyes and blinked several times. "No, no. I appreciate the offer, Paige, but…" She paused again and tried to stifle a yawn. "But time is not on our side. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, and we really haven't done anything yet. There's still completing the first part, and deciphering the rest of the…" She was about to continue when Paige put a hand over her mouth.

"Ah ah ah," Paige cut in, "Rambling's not really a good family trait that we've picked up, huh?"

"No, not really," Phoebe said when Paige released her, and laughed.

"Alrighty then," Paige pushed forward to her feet, dragging Phoebe with her. "To the apothecary then, sister Witch, and on with thy work."

Phoebe giggled and pushed herself up, following Paige to the potion table, where smoke was already curling upward in an infinite loop from their cauldron.


	8. Chapter 7 Am I Dead?

**A/N: CharmedPeacekeeper, Charmedchick, Up, Charmed225, and Eramay, and to the rest of my readers, thank you so much for the reviews! here is Chapter 6 for you, guys. Hope you'll enjoy it. the answers to last chapter's questions are in here, well at least some of them :) tell me what you think! thank you! **

_Piper was running madly, trying to follow the pinprick of light that Prue's voice advised her to follow. She turned left when the light dove to the left, and swerved right when it jumped to the right. She felt both irritated and silly following a small globe of light, but it was better than staying still and being eaten by Octopus-woman. How ironic. Octopus sushi is one of my favorites, and I almost ended up being eaten by my favorite appetizer, she thought. You better have the answers for this one, Prue or whoever you are. _

_Piper was mulling over whether to just click her heels together and wish for home, when she noticed a sudden change in her surroundings. The mist that rolled heavily around her was getting thinner, and thin rays of golden light were shining. The stale scent of the air was perfumed by the heady smell of wild roses on a summer day. Caught between awe and anxiety, she stopped running and slowed her pace. She took a tentative step forward, and suddenly, the light grew brighter, the smell of roses stronger. She took five more steps and the light flared all around her, the coils of mist and the cold completely gone. _

_Suddenly, a warm sensation flooded her chest. She looked down and saw the triquetra on the pendant around her neck glowing. With each step she took, the triquetra grew brighter, and Piper knew instinctively that it was reacting to the place. Without any warning, the triquetra flashed a bright coppery-red, and Piper suddenly found herself standing in a garden entirely bathed in golden white light. Roses of all shapes and colors surrounded her, their fresh scent swimming around her. "What the?" _

_Before she could process everything, crazy as it were, a movement to her left made her stand rod-straight. She gathered her magic and readied her hands, positioning them to her sides, ready to blow anyone or anything that moved. "Who's there?"_

_A figure clad in a green robe stepped in front of her, and extended its hand to lower the hood. Long, raven-black hair flowed down her back, and hazel green eyes stared at Piper with familiarity and longing. _

"_Welcome, Piper Halliwell, to the Garden of Persephone."_

"_Prue?!?" Piper bit her lip and slowly lowered her hands. She stared at the woman in front of her, and memories came rushing back- memories that she had carefully kept alive with photos, memories that made her choke back tears when she remembered them. She stared into the woman's familiar eyes, the woman who claimed to be Prue. Claimed, being the operative word. _

_Piper wanted so much to believe it was Prue, who was standing in front of her, alive, smiling at her, but something was holding her back. Years of dealing with shapeshifters who were bent on stealing their powers, a brother-in-law who was intent on turning them evil, and a sister who can glamour at will had taught her not to trust anyone at face value, especially someone who was supposed to be dead for years. _

_She stepped back, her arms back in place, her emotions and her mind having an internal debate. Her mind eventually won, and she pointed a finger at the woman. "Stay away from me." _

"_Piper," the woman said, taking a step forward, "it's really me, Prue." _

"_Oh yeah?" Piper cocked an eyebrow and flicked her wrist at a nearby rose bush; the roses exploded in a shower of red and pink petals. "Prove it."_

"_Alright then," the woman sighed and shrugged her shoulders. The way Prue used to do, Piper noticed. "How do I do this? Let's see. Ah, I got it! Two words, Joshua Campbell, a.k.a. JC, a.k.a. the first guy you had sex with and the first guy who broke your heart."_

_Piper shook her head. Joshua Campbell! I'd forgotten all about him! Piper thought, and memories of weeks of crying and moping in her room flooded her. She never told anyone about how Joshua Campbell, the jerk, fooled her and lead her along, and eventually used her. Except for Prue._

"_That really is you, isn't it?" Piper asked, her lips trembling._

"_Yup, in the flesh," Prue said, "so to speak."  
_

_Piper dropped her hands, and wrapped her arms around her sister. She buried her head in Prue's chest and felt warm tears rolling down her cheeks. A sense of longing and ecstasy ran through her, making her heart beat faster. She breathed her in, and felt the familiar feeling of security and safety that she felt whenever her big sister was around. Then, a thought crept inside her brain that caused her to pull away from Prue suddenly. "Oh crap."_

"_What is it, Piper? What's wrong?"_

"_If that really is you," Piper said, pointing a shaky finger at Prue, her voice raspy, "then that means I'm dead."_

…

Phoebe looked at the potion that bubbled inside the cauldron. It was dark-green in color and reminded her of rain-soaked trees.

"And the first potion is all brewed and ready to go," Paige said, stretching. She and Phoebe had been brewing the potion all day, with Phoebe deciphering the scroll and her mixing the herbs together. Tight kinks had knotted in her neck, and she massaged them gently.

Phoebe removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally. She looked out the window and was mildly surprised when she discovered that night had seeped in already. _It's night already? Just how long have we been working on this potion? _The huge Betty Boop clock, a gift from one of the guys she used to date, that was hanging on one of the far walls of the attic showed it was 8:10 in the evening, a little pendulum swinging between Betty's big breasts. Seeing the pendulum reminded her why she broke up with Cain "Boob Man" Mac two months ago. Shaking her head, she did a little mental calculation, and realized that she and Paige had been brewing the potion for almost five hours. "Hey, sis, did you know that we've been brewing that potion for almost five hours?"

"Yeah?" Paige said, twisting her neck from side to side. "You think we broke some kind of Wiccan record for making the toughest potion ever?"

Phoebe smiled, despite her exhaustion. "I guess so."

"All right, score one for the Charmed Ones," Paige said, smiling as well. She grabbed a small glass cup and poured the potion into it, and looked at Phoebe. She gestured at Piper, who was lying on the couch, still motionless, except for the rise and fall of her chest.

Phoebe nodded and she walked over to Piper, and knelt beside her. "Hang in there, sis," she whispered in Piper's ear and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. She took the potion from Paige and, tilting Piper's neck a little, slid it down Piper's mouth. Piper's throat made a small gurgling sound, and Phoebe closed Piper's mouth, so that her sister wouldn't accidentally, and involuntarily vomit the potion out.

"Do you think that worked?" Paige asked.

Before Phoebe could answer, a green glow washed over Piper's body, the same dark-green color of the potion. "I guess that answers out question," Phoebe said and yawned. She stood, too quickly, and suddenly regretted it, as small spots of color exploded around her. She sank back to the floor, and leaned on the couch.

"Phoebes?" Paige knelt beside Phoebe. "Are you okay?" She placed a hand on top of Phoebe's.

Phoebe took Paige's hand and squeezed. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little head rush from standing up too fast," she lied. She decided that, with one sister down, she couldn't afford to lose it and worry Paige too much. "I'm fine," she repeated, to convince herself as much as convince Paige.

"Here, let's try one more time," Paige got to her feet and pulled Phoebe gently with her.

This time, no spots of color appeared, and Phoebe sighed in relief. She let Paige guide her to the couch, and sat.

"Hey, the scroll said that we can only give Piper one potion a day right?" Paige asked as she strode to the potion table after guiding Phoebe to the couch. She began to cap the glass jars.

"Yeah, why?"

"I could really use a shower," Paige answered sheepishly, " a really warm shower." She rolled her neck to one side again, and rubbed.

"Nice idea," Phoebe murmured, eyes half-closed. "I could use one myself. Go ahead, but save some hot water for me."

"Sure thing," Paige said, her body one mass of knots and kinks. "But before I go," she walked to the cabinet that held all of their magical equipment, and pulled out a small wooden box. She opened it and took five crystals out, the same five crystals that they had used through the years to create a force field. She placed them gently on the floor around the couch Piper was lying on, forming a pentagram, and activated the force field with a spell. "There," she commented as the protective white light surrounded Piper. She closed the wooden box and left in on the table, and started for the door. "Are you sure you're okay? I can still make that potion, if you…"

Phoebe dismissed her with a wave of her hand, "I'm fine. Go and have that shower. You're beginning to smell like a wood nymph again." She smiled and threw a throw pillow at Paige.

Paige giggled and walked out of the attic, taking the stairs two at a time to her room. Phoebe heard her whistling the opening song of "Dawson's Creek."

Feeling her body growing heavier by the minute, Phoebe closed her eyes. She was tired, very, very tired. She felt the weight of the entire afternoon fall on her; and the lack of sleep was catching up to her. Within minutes, she was drifting away, slipping into sleep, unaware that a dark-robed figure was standing over her, a wide, toothless grin on its lips.


	9. Chapter 8 Discoveries of the Witches

"The good news is, you're not dead," Prue said, in response to Piper's initial shock.

Piper snorted. "That's good to know, Prue. But, newsflash, you are!"

"Not really," Prue smiled cryptically, eyes gleaming at a secret that only she knew, which caused Piper to raise an eyebrow. "Is that what you've been told?"

"Well, yeah, that's what Grams and Mom, Leo, and, oh yeah, all the people who attended your funeral told me. I mean, I didn't want to believe it at first. But we buried your body, Prue. Shax killed you." She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands, as she remembered, more vividly than she wanted to, seeing Prue's lifeless body surrounded by a pool of her own blood, splinters and shards of glass buried in her face and arms. Choking back a sob, she lowered her hands and stared at her older sister. Though she was elated to see Prue standing in front of her, solid and alive, she still felt that something was going on, that there was going to be a _but_ coming after this particular scenario. "What's going on here, Prue? What do you mean by 'not really'?"

Prue tucked loose strands of her raven-black hair behind her ears, and took Piper's right hand in her left, so that they were standing side-by-side. She led Piper forward, and began to explain as they walked. "Yes, it is true that Shax killed me. But, that's only part of it. He only destroyed my physical body, Piper. When he threw that energy ball that sent me flying through that wall, someone pulled my astral self out of my physical body, before my spirit could pass on to the Other Side. That is the reason I didn't die, Piper. My astral body was sent to this place, out of reach of earthly magic, out of reach of demons."

"Then that explains why my spells to bring you back didn't work," Piper said, recalling bringing Prue back to life with different spells from their Book of Shadows. "But who brought you here? And why?"

"The Elders brought me here, not surprisingly. I was told that this is my new destiny."

"And what destiny is this?"

"You were always better at mythology than I was, Piper. What do you know about Persephone?"

Slightly annoyed that her question was met with another question, Piper decided to answer Prue's question first, feeling that her sister was getting across to something. "Persephone is the daughter of Demeter, Goddess of the Grain. She was tricked into eating some pomegranates, and was thus destined to live half a year in the Underworld as the Wife of Hades and half a year in Olympus as Daughter of Demeter." Slowly coming to a realization, Piper's eyes widened at the implications of her surroundings and what her sister was doing here. "Wait! Are you saying that your new destiny is to be Persephone?!?"

Prue smiled again. "No, Piper, but close. I'm Her Keeper."

"Keeper? What's that?" Piper asked, nonplussed.

Prue closed her eyes, trying to think of a way to explain. "Remember when you were turned into goddesses in order to defeat the Titans?"

"How did you know that?"

"I've been watching over you and Phoebe, Piper. That is one of my gifts now, to be able to watch over those I left behind in the Earthen Plane."

"Oh." Piper said. "Oh!" She said again, slowly thinking of what Prue might have seen over the years. Her face turned red.

"Don't worry. I turn my head away when you're doing the you-know-what in the you-know-where." Prue grinned. "Except for that time in the kitchen. Damn, Piper, I didn't know you had it in you." Prue sidestepped, chuckling, when Piper swatted at her.

"Prue!" Piper was already beet red.

Prue laughed more, and it was her laugh that Piper missed the most. "All right, all right, I'll stop," she said, trying to contain her laughter (and barely succeeding), when Piper hit her lightly on the arm. Prue stopped laughing and looked at Piper, who was now glaring at her with both confusion and embarrassment in her eyes.

With one last chuckle, Prue straightened and stopped laughing completely. She took Piper's hand again, and led her forward. "I'm sorry. Okay, time to get serious. Do you remember how you were given the powers of Gaia, Goddess of the Earth?"

"Yeah."

"Didn't you wonder why, out of all the goddesses in the pantheon, you were given solely Gaia's powers? And Phoebe, Aphrodite's? Didn't you wonder why you weren't bestowed with Hekate's or Athena's?"

Piper let the question sink in, and tried to think of an answer. "Well, no. I mean, Leo only told us that I received Gaia's powers, because I was a mother already. That, as a mother, I resonated well with the Earth Mother, and I left it at that."

"Well, that's what a Keeper is, Piper. A magical being who has extremely strong ties with a particular goddess. At the right time, when the goddess that your soul is attached to calls on you, you become her Keeper, tasked to carry out whatever mission she assigns you. And this is who I am now, Persephone's Keeper, tasked with tending her garden."

"Oh, so you're a magical gardener now?" Piper asked, unbelieving. "From being the one of the world's most powerful witches, you end up taking care of a garden?"

Prue only gave Piper a small smile, and took a deep breath. "I knew you'd say that. Piper, but no. I am not _just _a magical gardener, I act as a bridge as well, for souls of Light. This Garden is a portal, Piper, where all souls of Light gather. If the souls are meant to reach the Other Side, I guide them, if not, like you, I show them their new destinies."

"Oh," Piper said, understanding dawning on her. "Wait, are you telling me that this is my new destiny as well?" Piper looked at Prue, a look of both anticipation and fear in her eyes. She was hoping that she'd be given the same destiny, so that she could spend it with Prue once more. However, she was also afraid of leaving Phoebe and Paige, and Leo and Wyatt, behind. She was torn between two worlds, between the people she love, and her heart ached suddenly. She was both excited and afraid of what Prue had to say.

Prue looked at Piper and took her hands.

Her eyes grew serious.

…

The hooded figure pulled its skeletal hand out of its heavy black robe, and waved it over Phoebe's face. Its smile grew even wider, exposing jagged teeth as sharp as blades, when a dark blue aura wrapped itself around Phoebe. With one final hiss, its body slowly turned into smoke, starting from the legs up.

However, before it could finish its transformation, Phoebe's eyes snapped open, her irises entirely gone. She opened her mouth, and a voice boomed out of her that was not her own. "Shadow being, begone!" She flicked her wrist at the hooded figure, and it flew backward, sailing through the air and flying toward the force field that surrounded Piper.

It crashed into the force field and sparks erupted as black energy collided with white, causing its robes to go up in flames. The hooded figure roared both in shock and pain. A small acrid smell, like hair burning, filled Phoebe's nostrils, and smoke darker than the night rose, covering the whole attic.

Suddenly, white and blue orbs appeared in the attic, and formed into Paige. A towel was wrapped around her body, and she was dripping wet. "What the?" Unknowingly, she orbed just a few inches away from the hooded figure, and she was a second too late to realize it as it backhanded her across the attic. She crashed into one of the bookshelves, her towel loosely hanging from her waist. Blood began to seep from her head.

Unblinking and unflinching, Phoebe shot her palms up and focused on the demon, slamming it into the force field with a telekinetic shove. The hooded figure roared again, agony causing it to roar louder.

"Demonic soldier of Hell,

I vanquish you with this spell.

Return now from whence you came,

I banish you to eternal flame!"

In a heartbeat, small embers began to form in the center of the hooded figure's chest, which grew brighter by the second. The embers spread like wildfire, and within minutes, began to consume the hooded figure, from the inside out.

A final roar, and the hooded figure exploded in a shower of sparks.

Phoebe's body suddenly convulsed, trembling uncontrollably. Then her irises rolled back into her eyes, and she crumpled in a heap on to the floor, unconscious.

Paige lay across from her, bleeding and unconscious as well.

And Piper was still inside the cage, unaware that their very core is being turned, molded, and reshaped into something sinister and dark, as the smoke from the charred remains of the demonic soldier coiled around the attic, searching for its target.

A triumphant laugh echoed around the attic.


	10. Chapter 9 What's Happening to Me?

Piper was staring at Prue, heart beating wildly in her chest. For the umpteenth time, she found herself lost, her sanity turning into the needle in the proverbial haystack. She continued to stare at her once-dead-now-alive sister, and noticed that Prue's raven-black hair were tucked neatly behind her ears, leaving her face clean. _It's been so long_, Piper thought, and still could not believe that Prue was standing in front of her, talking about magical gardens and portals.It was like she was in a dream, and a quick pinch to her shoulder reassured her that what she was seeing was reality, or what constituted for reality in a Charmed One's life.

_Would this be my destiny? To be with Prue again, never to be separated? _Her heart pounded in her chest, anxious at what Prue had to say. To be with Prue meant to be without Phoebe, Paige, Leo, and their children; to be with her meant to be without them. Her heart swelled and ached at the same time. "Prue?" Her voice came out in a harsh whisper.

Piper felt Prue's grip tighten around her hands. She tried to read Prue's face, and what she saw there made her already madly beating heart a sharp thud.

Prue's face was contorted in a half-frown and half-smile, regret and relief both etched in her eyes. "No, Piper," she said, "As much as I want it to be, the Universe has other plans for you." With this, Prue pulled her close and did something that Piper thought she'd never experience again- Prue drew Piper in a tight embrace and kissed her forehead.

A warm feeling enveloped Piper, a feeling that she'd always have whenever a Cupid or Leo was around.

"No, Piper," Prue repeated, a single tear- whether it was out of joy or despair, or both, Piper was not certain- rolling down her cheek, "the Universe has other things stored for you, and Phoebe and Paige, for the Charmed Ones." She suddenly withdrew, and with her right hand, traced an intricate rune over Piper's left breastbone. Muttering in Latin, she looked Piper in the eyes, and whispered, "Time for you to meet the Queen of the Garden, Piper. Blessed Be. Until we meet again."

And with that, Piper, her eyes wide in surprise, disappeared in a haze of green light, Prue's voice slowly fading into silence.

…

Phoebe found herself walking in stark darkness, under the blackest of nights and the thickest of smokes. Purple light streaked above her head like chain lightning, followed by a deep rumbling. With each step she took, claps of thunder echoed. The scene reminded her of an old Halloween party which she attended, but the thought did little to ease the pounding in her chest. _Andrew Wight's cheesy Halloween party, Andrew Wight's cheesy Halloween party_, Phoebe murmured to herself to keep herself from screaming. _Andrew Wig.. _

"Ahh!" a gasp, barely stifled, came out of her. After taking her fourth tentative step, something reached out from behind her and grabbed her left wrist. On instinct, she pulled her wrist closer, intending to bring whoever, or whatever, it was that had her closer, and raised her elbow, ready to strike. However, before she had the chance to drive her elbow down, another hand grabbed her right wrist; at that exact moment, two other hands held her ankles.

"No!" Phoebe struggled under the hands' grasp. "NO!" Her empathic alarms were ringing loudly in her head, and she felt a wave of pure evil wash over her, pressing in on her, forcing itself from the outside-in. Black spores entered her from every crevice on her body, every entrance. She began to choke, as a force so strong pressed in on her. She began to claw at her neck, gasping desperately for neck, and not stopping even when blood began to well from where she scratched.

"Black energy of foul beast,

I vanquish you now to the Abyss!"

Phoebe found herself slumped, her limbs sprawled at acute angles. Heavy breathing came from a distance away, and she soon realized that it was her own ragged breathing that she was hearing.

Slowly, as her senses began to return, she felt someone prodding her back, and heard a voice faintly calling her name.

"Phoebe," the voice called out, a somewhat familiar, placid voice. "Phoebe. Wake up." It was like steel, cold and unfeeling.

Phoebe opened her eyes, and noticed a sharp pain shooting from her wrists and ankles. As her eyes began to focus, she noticed that the dark was replaced by light, and she automatically closed them again, momentarily blinded.

"Phoebe," the voice called her again. "We don't have much time."

She opened her eyes again, and found herself staring at another set of eyes- blue, sharp, piercing- that belonged to a woman with curly blonde hair and angular features. "Watcher," Phoebe said, almost in a whisper, half in reverence and half in shock.

"Time is not on our side. We have already lost two other sisters," she said in reply, matter-of-factly. "The Triumvirate is moving, the darkness is closing in. Hurry, Phoebe. They are coming for…"

Another set of arms grabbed the Watcher from behind, and a piercing shriek echoed through the air as a spear impaled her from behind, its steel tip glinting through the hole in the Watcher's chest.

Before Phoebe had the chance to scream, a hole sprang from beneath her, and the last thing she remembered was falling.

And the darkness.

…

"Phoebe," Paige called gently, the white towel replaced by a light blue robe, her hair completely dry. "Phoebe, wake up. Please." She checked Phoebe's unmoving arm for a pulse, anything that indicated that her sister was still alive. Leo had already healed her bleeding neck, something which had puzzled both her and their brother-in-law, Phoebe was still slumped almost lifelessly on the cold wooden floor. Paige found a pulse, a faint throbbing on Phoebe's wrist, and began to call her sister again. "Phoebe."

Paige's heart thudded as she saw Phoebe's fingers twitch, and her legs move. "Phoebe!"

"Ow," Phoebe winced as her eyes snapped open. Blurry images swam in front of her, and she reached out with her arms. "Paige? Is… that… you?"

"Yes, it's me, sweetie," Paige said softly. She knelt and reached for Phoebe's left arm. "And Leo's here, too. We're going to help you sit up, okay?"

"Okay," Phoebe mumbled. She felt two pairs of hands helping her to her feet, one on each side. Her body felt like it was torn from the inside out, like she was attacked by a pack of hyenas. Nervously, she glanced at her bare wrists, expecting to see blood. She sighed in relief when she found her skin smooth and unmarked. _Was that just a dream?_

Paige and Leo led Phoebe to the couch, and laid her gently on it.

Paige put an arm around Phoebe's arm, and jerked her hand almost instantly. "Phoebe, you're cold!" Phoebe's skin was clammy and moist, like the scales of a mermaid. "Blanket," Paige called, and in the blink of an eye, a thick, brown blanket appeared in her hands; she hurriedly wrapped it around Phoebe, intending to warm her up.

Phoebe clutched the blanket tighter, and shivered. Small tremors rocked her body, and she broke out in a cold sweat. "I…I…" She tried to tell Leo of what she saw, but she could not stop shivering.

"Leo, sit beside her, now," Paige stood, and walked toward the potions table. She expertly mixed herbs together in the mortar and ground them with the wooden pestle. She then transferred the powdered herbs in a goblet, and poured hot water into it, chanting a regenerating spell until the mixture turned into a rich amber color. She walked over to Phoebe and gave her the goblet. "Here, drink this," she offered.

"Wh…what," she mouthed as her trembling hands received the goblet. She gingerly lifted it to her mouth, and was warmed immediately by the scents of cinnamon and chamomile. She let the steam waft around her, slowly inhaling. "Than…Thank you."

Paige waited until Phoebe finished the tea, and began to pace the room. She stepped in front of the mirror, and briefly noticed that she looked like a small cloud, drifting around the dusty attic. She turned her head when she heard Leo call out her name.

"Paige? Did you hear me? I said, what just happened here?"

She shook her head, and turned to Leo. "I'm not really sure," she said and resumed pacing; inside, she was mentally recollecting what had happened. "One moment, I was enjoying my shower, the next, I heard someone growling here in the attic. So I orbed here, ready for battle, when this demon hit me and I flew across the room. Some kind of witch I am, huh?" She stopped walking and grinned sheepishly at Leo and Phoebe. "Anyway, before I ended up sprawled and bleeding, I saw Phoebe, pushing the demon," she paused, squinted, and looked at Phoebe, confusion and disbelief on her face, "with telekinesis?"

"Telekinesis?" Leo repeated, equally confused. "But that's not her power." He stared at Paige and talked as if Phoebe weren't there.

"Yeah," Paige nodded her head, her focus solely on relaying what she remembered to Leo. "And her eyes were white, her irises were gone. And her voice… it became deeper, metallic."

Phoebe listened as Paige and Leo continued to have their conversation, talking as if she weren't there; they completely ignored her and kept referring to her in the third person. She felt irritation bubbling inside, the warmth from the tea turning into a searing anger. "Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" She stood, ignoring the pain that suddenly shot through her wrists and ankles, and shoved the blanket aside, kicking it away as it fell on her feet.

Paige and Leo both turned to stare at her, and Phoebe heard her sister gasp. "Phoebe! What…What are those?" Fear laced Paige's words, which made her voice raspy. Alarmed, she followed Paige's gaze on her bare arms.

What she saw made her heart literally skip a bit, fear gripping her in its icy grasp. Finger marks were embedded on her wrists and ankles, the exact areas where she was grabbed in her dream.

Her mind was screaming. _What's happening to me_?


	11. Chapter 10 Witches Fight Back

"What else can you remember, Phoebe?" Leo was pacing as well, joining Paige. He rubbed his temples, worry and fear bubbling inside him.

Phoebe sank slowly back into the couch. Her thoughts were colliding in her mind, and her feet felt like jelly. She unbuttoned her blouse and fanned herself with her hand, the air closing in on her. She risked a glance at her wrists again, and saw that the marks had gotten darker, redder, as if the fingers were digging themselves deeper into her. "That's all that I can remember, Leo. I remember waking up in this dark," she paused, trying to think of a better word, and not finding one, continued, "place, walking, when arms grabbed me from the darkness." She lifted her wrists, then kicked out her ankles to emphasize. "And then, I remember falling. It's like being pulled out," she accentuated the word _out_ before she continued, "of a premonition. The next thing I know, you and Paige were dragging me on my butt, and finding these marks on me."

"But you said something, Phoebes," Paige said as she stopped walking, remembering something from when she was trying to wake Phoebe. "Wa… what was it? Watcher?"

Phoebe's eyes widened. "Yes! Yes, now that you've mentioned it, a Watcher spoke to me in my dreams. She had blonde hair and three blue eyes, and she," she stopped again, her mind a hazy swamp. "She…"

"What did she tell you?" Leo asked. "Maybe we can start from there."

"Everything is so hazy, Leo." Phoebe stood as well, and though she felt light-headed, she pushed herself up, and began to pace the room with Paige. She took in a deep breath, and began. "Let's see. She… She said that they were coming. And that," she stopped, trying to remember. "And that we were running out of time."

"Tell us something we don't know." Paige snorted.

"She said something else," Phoebe continued, ignoring Paige's comment. "Something about… the Triumvirate. They are coming for…And then she disappeared. The next thing I know, I was falling and woke up."

"She must be warning you," Leo said, eyes clouded with thoughts.

"Sounds like it," Paige agreed. "But coming for what?"

"I think the answer is pretty obvious, guys," Phoebe said as she stood up, forcing herself to her feet. "They're coming for us."

…

The Triumvirate was standing over a circle of thirteen white crystals, cackling as, one by one from left to right, the crystals turned from white to blood red.

"Soon, the Charmed circle shall be ours," the one to the left said, removing her robe, and throwing it aside, revealing her body. She had the body of a woman, covered in bright green scales, and the tail of a snake. The scales on her body glinted, reflecting the light as each crystal flashed from a pristine white to an ominous red.

The second figure, standing in the middle, laughed, her voice the sound of metals scraping against metal. She, too, removed its robe, and revealed her body. She raised its clawed hands, and flexed them in excitement. Her body was covered in feathers, and a pair of wings flapped uncontrollably at her back, causing the wind to blow dust around them. "And their magick shall be added to our powers."

The third followed suit, discarding her black robe as well, and began to float higher, rising several inches above her sisters. Her body was a transparent black, composed completely of gas, air molecules that hovered together, attached by magick, dark magick that reflected in the color of her body- black. She spoke, and voice sounded like it came from under the sea, "And we shall rise back to life. Back to ruling the days of mankind."

They began another chant in Latin, their power growing as the eleventh crystal turned to blood red.

…

"We have to act now, Paige," Phoebe said, her glasses perched on her nose, and turned her attention back to the scroll. "We don't have much time. In less than twelve hours, we have to give Piper the second potion."

"I know that, Phoebe," Paige answered, "But are you sure that you're all right? Why don't you take a rest and let me do the potion? Leo can try again."

"No," Phoebe said, finality in her voice. "If we don't act now, they will come get us. They're almost here, Paige, and I don't want to sit around, waiting for them to just pick us off one by one. We act now. And besides, there isn't much that Leo could do, anyway."

Leo flinched at Phoebe's comments, and turned away, not looking at either sister. It was a fact that neither Paige nor Leo had voiced out, but it hung over their heads like a cloud. He had tried to heal Phoebe's wrists, or rather, tried to heal the marks on her wrists, which had turned from finger marks to runic symbols, all of which resembled a sword. But it was no use; the golden light that Leo used to heal the Charmed Ones were ineffective against the marks.

Finally, Leo shook his head. "Phoebe's right, Paige. I can't erase them. It would be better for you to finish the potion and revive Piper. You will need the Power of Three soon, if what Phoebe saw is an indication of what's about to happen."

"All right," Paige said in surrender, and went to stand beside Phoebe. "Tell me what we need."

"Right," Phoebe answered, her attention shifting from the scroll to Paige, then back to the scroll again. "Uh," her brows wrinkled in confusion. "I think we need more than herbs and crystals here, Paige. A whole lot more."

"What else could we possibly need? We have a collection of magickal items that other witches would kill for," Paige said confidently. "And in warlocks' cases, literally." She shrugged.

"Well, let's see, Ms. Cocky," Phoebe said, her eyes going through the yellowed parchment. "Do we have a vial of vampire's saliva, a drop of a Phoenix's tear, and the blood of a virgin witch?"

All Paige could do was look at Phoebe, eyes wide.


	12. Chapter 11 Vampire Saliva

**A/N: desi- **thank you so much for the kind words. Your reviews always make my day. I hope to see you again in my email inbox!

**Lizardmomma-** they are, aren't they? Here's how they get the first one. Enjoy!

**Up- **Thank you for being a loyal reader! What are the parts that you like the most?

**Charmed- **they do, right? This next chapter tells how they get the vampire saliva. Eeew :o

…

"Okay, Crazy, can you please run your plan by me again?" Paige said, watching Phoebe brew potions beside her. A fine mist wafted from the cauldron, and a loud pop echoed inside the attic as Phoebe added rosemary to the brew. Paige noticed that her sister had the sleeves of her lime green sweat shirt rolled up, until it crumpled in folds on her elbows. _That is so gonna crease_, Paige thought irrelevantly.

Phoebe rolled her eyes at Paige as she expertly added a pinch of sage into the bubbling cauldron. "Okay, listen very carefully now, and take notes; I'm not gonna repeat this after." She took a deep breath, and began to explain. "We're going to storm the vampire lair that I just scryed the location for, and force one to," spit into this," she paused, her face wrinkled in disgust at what they were supposed to do, "eeew." She wiped her hands on her jeans, and raised a small glass vial the length of her pinky finger. "Once we're done, we orb out and find our way to a Phoenix's nest to get the next item on the list."

"Oh, oh," Paige said, her voice shrill with disbelief. "And which part exactly in your finely made out plan says that we walk out alive? The last time you decked it out with vampires, I was one of them! And I was vicious, Phoebe. Or have you forgotten that at that time, I had the power to lift trucks and bespell the hell out of witches?"

"Oh, stop being overdramatic, Paige," Phoebe said, and shook her head, muttering "and Piper calls me hysterical," under her breath. "And no, I haven't forgotten how you kicked our asses when you were all skimpy and fanged. That's the reason I made this," she continued, and carefully capped a potion vial shut. The liquid inside turned from a rich purple color to a light blue.

"What's that going to do?" Paige said. Over the years, she and her sisters had brewed hundreds of potions, each with their own special effects; potions that could blow things up, potions that could paralyze demons. Each potion had different effects, and Paige wanted to know what this particular brew was capable of doing.

"Well, this here, Missy Paige," Phoebe said, and capped three more potion vials shut, "is a speed decelerator potion. I just tweaked the potion that replicated Piper's freezing power; instead of completely freezing things, this potion would slow time to a molecular level. One potion would mean instant slow motion for our enemies. This should counter the vampires' speed. Once time slows down inside the cave, we vanquish them," she paused, gesturing at the crossbows and stakes piled on one of the tables, "with these babies."

Paige took a vial and shook it, watching bubbles form and swim inside the glass. "Wait a minute, Missy Phoebe, will we get affected by this potion? I mean, it's really hard to kill vampires; it'd be suicide to challenge them in slow motion."

"Don't you worry, worrywart," Phoebe answered, picking a crossbow from the pile and pocketing two vials of potion. Her heart was beating faster at the anticipation of facing a coven of blood-sucking vampires, a heart-pounding combination of excitement and anxiety, but she didn't let it show. "I added my blood to make sure that we'd be immune. So are you ready to kick ass, or are you just going to stand there and worry all day?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Paige said, grabbing two potion vials and walking towards Phoebe. She grabbed three stakes in one hand, and took Phoebe's hand in the other. "To the bat cave, then."

With that, she and Phoebe disappeared in a swirl of blue and white lights, leaving Piper inside a newly cast force field.

…

"Phoebe, duck!" Paige screamed as she orbed a stake right through a female vampire's chest. The vampire screamed and, in a blink of an eye, turned into a pile of dust. "Throw another one!"

Without hesitation, Phoebe threw another potion on the ground between her and the rushing vampires, causing the vial to break. The light blue potion immediately turned into gas, and seeped through the entire cave, rising to the air like mist. The faces of the vampires charging Phoebe twisted in pain. One of them muttered, "Not again," as their movement began to slow, caught in the thrall of the potion, their limbs coated in metaphysical tar.

Not wasting another moment, she jammed a stake through a male vampire's chest, and watched as its face contorted in pain, which disappeared in a swirl of ash. She pulled the crossbow that was strapped to her back, and shot a nearby vampire that had its fangs extended; its eyes rolled back into its head before turning into a pile of ash. She ran towards the two vampires to her left, and staked them both before the effects of the potion wore off, and risked a glance at Paige's direction when she realized that the youngest Charmed One had stopped screaming at her. It took Phoebe a second to realize that Paige had disappeared from the cave, and another second to understand her sister's plan of action when she saw her appear in a swirl of orbs.

Paige had orbed out of the cave, leaving the vampires that were attacking her to swipe at air; then, appeared behind them. She immediately pulled a stake out of her pocket and, bending her elbow, stabbed the vampire to her left with one quick strike, and twisting her arm, stabbed the other on her right. The vampires' eyes widened in slow motion, their mouths opened in a big O, before their bodies turned into ash. She repeated her orb-and-stake tactic twice, until all six vampires that were surrounding her were reduced to ash. So far, she had vanquished eight vampires, but they still kept coming. The odds were twenty-to-one, and she was already running out of potions. Her heart was pumping madly in her chest, part adrenaline, part fear. "Well, Missy Phoebe," Paige screamed before orbing out, and continued as she orbed back in, "tell me again how we plan to get out of here alive!"

"I'm sorry! How was I to know that the potion would last for only two minutes?" Phoebe said in defense. She swept her left foot under the female vampire in front of her, causing the vampire to fall flat on her back. Flipping the stake in her hand, Phoebe drove the pointed end down, and came up with ash on her black jeans.

"That's not good enough! From now on," Paige replied, panting, "you are so banned from making potions." _If we ever get out of this one alive_, she thought.

Phoebe thrust her hand out, and landed a punch in the solar plexus of the vampire standing in front of her. She followed with a roundhouse kick, and one quick stab of the stake. "I said I was sorry, Paige." She stopped, the fine hairs on her neck and arms suddenly standing on end; she felt cold, her blood turning to ice. "Stop being a bitch!" she blurted before she could stop herself.

"Excuse me?"

"I said," Phoebe screamed back, "stop being such a whiny," Phoebe's voice began to grow deeper, "little," and deeper, "bitch!" She threw the stake she was holding full force, and watched it sail in a straight line toward Paige. "And orb!" She shouted before the stake hit her sister. Paige orbed out just in time, and the stake drove itself deep into the chest of a male vampire, causing yet another vanquish.

Paige orbed in behind a vampire sneaking on Phoebe, and staked it from behind. Before the vampire's body had completely turned to ash, the effects of the potion wore off, and the rest of the vampire coven was moving at full speed once again. Paige detected a blur of speed to her left, and the next thing she knew, she was flying towards the jagged wall of the cave. She had a moment to scream before she let her instincts take over; her powers kicked in and she disappeared in a swirl of orbs.

"Paige!" Phoebe shouted, left hand already digging through her pocket for another potion. Her right hand had the crossbow ready, aimed at a vampire, when something slammed into her, hard. She was thrown backward, and found herself backed into a corner, jagged rock behind her. A wooden sconce that held a small flame was directly above her, and the light it cast spilled on a figure that suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Stupid witch," the vampire hissed. With one swift movement, the vampire slashed at Phoebe with its claws, tearing the sleeves of her shirt, from the elbow down, off.

Blood seeped from the claw marks on Phoebe's arms from where the vampire slashed her, running over the runic marks. Where blood touched them, they emitted a faint reddish glow, flashing mildly under the glow of the flame.

Startled, the vampire's eyes fell on Phoebe's wrists and on the runic marks. Its eyes widened, "The marks… you are marked!"

Phoebe's eyes narrowed, and her irises turned into a crimson red color. "Yes, but you will not live long enough to tell to others," she hissed in a voice that was deeper than her own, more forceful, malevolent, angry. In the blink of an eye, she brought her hand up and grabbed the candle within the wooden sconce; she ignored the hot, melted wax that dripped down her arm, and shoved it down the vampire's open mouth.

The vampire had a second to scream before the flame completely engulfed its body from within. A sneer crept into Phoebe's mouth. She took a step forward, when a burst of colors attacked her, clouding her vision. She felt light-headed and nauseous. _Oooh, head rush_, she thought, closing her eyes for a fraction of a second. She felt disoriented, as if coming out of a trance. _What just happened?_ She thought, and yelped in pain as she felt something hot prick her right hand. She looked down and found wax already hardening on her hand. _What the?_

"Phoebe!" Paige called out from across the cave, pulling a stake from another vampire's chest.

"I'm okay," Phoebe said, as she staggered forward, forcing vision to focus. After a heartbeat, her vision cleared, and the nausea faded. "I think," she added. She shook her head lightly, and ignored what just happened, blaming it instead on her lack of sleep. Intending to finish the battle quickly, she aimed her crossbow and fired, twice, hitting her target first on the neck, then in the heart. She clicked the trigger again, and found that the crossbow had run out of arrows. She kept her eyes on the cave, assessing their situation, while reloading her weapon.

There were only a handful of vampires left, at her estimate eighteen- no, sixteen, as Paige telekinetically slammed two vampires that had turned into bats against each other. That meant that the odds were at least eight to one. _I'm liking these odds_, she smiled, and aimed the crossbow again. She fired in rapid succession to her left, where a blur of vampires were rushing toward her. She heard three screams, and saw three new piles of ash littering the cave. _Three down, five to go_. "Paige! Don't forget to keep one alive!" She yelled over the screams and minor explosions.

"Don't worry, I won't," she yelled back as she expertly staked another vampire. She took three additional stakes from her pocket, and focusing, flung all four stakes towards the vampires that had formed a wall in front of her with her telekinesis. The stakes disappeared in a flash of orbs, and immediately materialized on the chests of the vampires, right on target. All four screamed in unison, and were reduced to piles of ash.

After a tense battle of orbing, levitating, screaming, and staking, only one vampire remained. It was a female and looked to be in her early twenties. Realizing that she was the only one left, panic surged through her. Her eyes widened, flitting from one Charmed One to the other.

Before she had the chance to use her speed or change into a bat, Paige orbed two separate strands of Arachne's Rope around the vampire's arms and legs. "Uh-uh, you're not going anywhere."

The vampire growled, her voice deep, and bared her fangs. She was struggling against the rope, pulling at it. Paige and Phoebe both knew that, no matter how strong the vampire was, the rope's magic was infinitely stronger.

"It's no use, you know," Phoebe said, "Now, just give us what a drop of your saliva, and we'd both be on our merry ways. Refuse, and well, ash isn't really your color."

The vampire growled in response.

Paige stepped up, and stood a few inches in front of Phoebe. She avoided the vampire's eyes, knowing full well how they had the power to bespell others, instead, she focused on the vampire's lips. "We can do this the hard way, or easy way. Lady's choice."

Another growl.

"Noisy, isn't she?" Paige said. "Sis, athame please." She extended her hand back to Phoebe, like the way a surgeon would extend her or his hand for a scalpel.

Phoebe reached into her belt, unsheathed a small dagger with a black handle, and handed it to Paige. Her hands deliberately went in front of the vampire's eyes to show her how serious they were.

The vampire's eyes followed Phoebe's wrists, and her mouth parted. "You bear the marks," she said in a near whisper.

"What did you just say?" Paige said, taking a step closer.

"The marks," the vampire hissed again, her eyes transfixed on Phoebe's wrists.

"You know what they are?" Paige asked, her eyes still staring at the vampire's lips, which were now trembling.

Phoebe felt shaky, another bout of disorientation hitting her; and slowly, she felt herself losing control. It was as if she were outside her body, watching the scene from without. She saw her mouth opening, but the voice that she heard was not hers. "Careful, Paige," she said, her voice hoarse and cracked. "Vampires speak in lies."

"But, she…" Paige argued when Phoebe placed a hand on her shoulder, and squeezed.

"No," the voice came out of Phoebe's mouth. She also noticed that her eyes had turned into red completely, the white surrounding it bleeding into a crimson color that looked to her like blood. She also noticed that her eyes were staring into the eyes of the vampire. _No!_ Phoebe tried to scream, worried at being bespelled, but her mouth was not responding. However, her worry was soon turned into surprise when, instead of her body flinching, it was the vampire who broke eye contact.

"Open your mouth," Phoebe saw her mouth open and heard the words.

The vampire opened her mouth.

"Paige, put the vial under her chin."

Paige slid the glass vial exactly where Phoebe said.

"Spit."

The vampire let a long string of saliva slide down the glass vial, sticky liquid that reminded Paige of molasses flowing down from her mouth to the vial. When the vial was almost full, Paige took it and closed it. "Ewwww. That was disgusting." She shivered and wiped the imaginary grime on her jeans.

"Very good," again the voice came out of Phoebe's mouth.

Then, after a heartbeat, Phoebe grabbed the athame from Paige's hand, and slashed the vampire's neck, completely beheading her. The vampire's head dropped and rolled near Paige's feet, the eyes staring wildly at her.

Paige screamed.

Phoebe's body collapsed to the floor.


	13. Chapter 12 Sacrifice

_A/N: Welsh- these aren't your ordinary potion ingredients, now are they? Here's Chapter 12!_

_Lizardmomma and Charmedchick- Phoebe's neck deep in trouble here in Chapter 12. what will happen to her? _

_Up- thank you for the kind words! As Charmedchick had put it "eeww" _

_Here's chapter 12 for you guys :)_

For the second time in less than an hour, Phoebe found herself falling, plummeting as her weight pulled her down. Her arms were flailing helplessly at her sides, and she felt her stomach heave. It was like riding a rollercoaster, backwards.

She opened her mouth to scream; however, before any sound came out, she landed on her back, hard.

_This is getting ridiculous, I've fallen down more holes than Alice in freaking Wonderland, _she thought angrily as she stood, and nursed her bruised behind. She was about to say more, when her eyes focused on her surroundings.

"Wow," she muttered, awe-struck. "Phoebe, I don't think we're in San Francisco anymore." Her anger was eclipsed by what she saw. She was in a garden, the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. Light filtered around her from a clear azure sky, and fractured light reflected from a lily pond with crystal clear water to her right, creating a small rainbow. Roses bigger than her palms in every imaginable shade of red- scarlet, pink, and crimson- surrounded her, their fragrance lacing the air around her. She took a step forward, smiling, and discovered that she was barefoot. She laughed as the small blades of green grass tickled her feet.

She was about to take off and explore the garden, when she heard voices to her right, just past the pond. She heard two people talking, and if she was not mistaken, both were female; one sounded very familiar to her. She listened some more, catching small snippets of conversation.

"You are in the Court of Persephone, young Witch" the first voice said, her voice matter-of-fact.

"Where is my sister? I want to see my sister!" The second, familiar voice asked, voice shrill.

"Your sister is in the Garden, Piper. Now you must listen."

"Piper?" Phoebe called out. Her heart began to pound in her chest. "Piper?" She called out again. _Piper? Here? Alive? How?_ Questions rang through her head even before she broke into a run. She tried to follow the voices, her temples throbbing. Her heart and temples seemed to beat simultaneously, creating a steady rhythm of pain that beat at her relentlessly. Anxiety filled her with an insatiable need to run faster.

"I want to speak with my sister. Take me to her!"

"Lives are at stake, Piper, the entire world is in danger. This is bigger than you and your sister."

"I know that! The Triumvirate is coming."

"You know nothing!" The first voice had risen, almost angry. "You are mistaken, Piper. The Triumvirate is not coming; they are here." The first voice gave emphasis on the word "are." "They are already here. Do you understand what is happening?"

"I…I…" Phoebe heard Piper stutter.

The voices were louder now, loud enough that Phoebe half-expected to see Piper when she turned that one corner. She hurriedly walked around an oak tree, and was surprised to see the clearing empty. The voices began talking again.

"The world is at stake, Charmed One."

Anxious to see her sister, Phoebe broke into another sprint, stepped over a rosebush, and pushed the hanging branches of a willow tree that was in her way. She caught snippets of conversation as she continued to follow the voices, to follow Piper.

"What should we do?"

She turned left, the branches of another oak tree scraping her skin, causing blood to seep out of small wounds; but, she did not stop. Phoebe ignored the pain, and continued to run, to run to her sister.

"Sacrifice."

Another corner, another tree, another rosebush, all of which Phoebe ignored as she ran faster. _Piper,_ she thought madly, her heart pounding. _Piper!_

"Sacrifice?" Piper's voice echoed through the garden. "Sacrifice? Haven't we sacrificed enough? We've practically given up our entire lives, just so we can maintain the balance between good and evil. We've sacrificed our sister!!! Isn't that enough?" Piper's voice rose higher, frustration rising above her confusion.

Phoebe rounded another corner and found a dead-end; a wall of rosebushes as high as the Manor blocked her way. _No! _She turned around, and backtracked, running the opposite direction.

"Sacrifice can never be measured by what was given up, or what was lost," the first voice said calmly, like the voice of a High Priestess in ritual. "The measure of sacrifice, true sacrifice, is how we grow, how we deal, what was learned."

"Cut the mystical mumbo-jumbo crap, lady," Phoebe heard Piper's voice growing higher, her frustration turning into rage. "I get it, another big evil that you cannot handle is here, and you need me," Piper paused, "us, the Charmed Ones, to help you fight your battle for you. What I don't get is why you whisk me away from my sisters where I can help them prepare for this threat. Why you cannot return me to them, where I can actually be useful! What I don't get is why you demand so much from us!"

Phoebe ran faster, sweat running down her back, her forehead, and her cheeks. Left, right, straight. She let her feet lead her to the voices, but whenever she got closer, a wall of roses blocked her way. She noticed that the color of the roses grew darker as she ran deeper into the garden, from delicate pinks and reds; the color of the roses that surrounded her as she ran deeper had changed to blood red and deep scarlet.

"We demand only what is necessary for the world to survive, Piper. The path of Good is never an easy one. You, by now, should know that." The voice was calm, almost hypnotic, and Phoebe sensed that the first voice was trying to calm Piper down.

There was a long pause, and Phoebe feared that she had somehow lost the trail. After a tense moment, she heard Piper's voice trailing down in front of her. "Look. I'm sick and tired of all this crap. Just tell me what I need to do, so I could do it. The faster I finish it, the sooner I can get back to my sisters." Piper sounded tired, defeated. Withdrawn.

_Where are you? _A voice in Phoebe's head screamed in frustration. Taking a deep breath and trying to calm herself, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, she found herself standing in a circle of thirteen oak trees. In the middle of the trunks of the oak trees were runic marks, eleven of which were drawn in a thick red ink. _No, not ink_, she whispered as she crept slowly towards one; something about the thickness and the texture of the runes convinced her that it was something else. As she drew nearer, a sweet, metallic taste filled her mouth.

Snippets of conversation flew in and out of the circle, but Phoebe barely paid attention; her eyes transfixed on the runes. Phoebe eased forward as each word passed between Piper and whoever it was she was speaking with.

"Almost lost…" Step.

"Who? Why?" Step.

"Sisters." Step.

"Bear the sacrifice." Step.

Until finally, she was close enough that she reached out with her right hand and touch the rune. The taste had gotten stronger, sweeter, and it was almost choking her by the time her hand was on the rune. Slowly, as her hand slid down the tree trunk, pieces of an unseen puzzle clicked together in her mind.

_The color, the taste, the texture, the scent_, Phoebe whispered, her blood running cold. _This is blood! _And as blood ran down her wrist, the marks flashed again.

Before her mind registered what was happening, several things happened simultaneously: she heard the words, "Your sacrifice will be the crystal. Bear the crystal, bear the sacrifice," a howl of wind, a flash of light, and felt another hole open beneath her feet.

And she was suddenly falling, falling, falling into blackness.

…

_You have got to be kidding me,_ Phoebe muttered under her breath as she regained her consciousness, again, for the third time. She dusted herself, and tried to stand, but she found out that she could not. _Ugh, ankle. _Her ankle was twisted, and she felt a sore spot in her left thigh. _If this is a joke, _she thought furiously, _then ha-freaking-ha._

"Look what we have, sisters of the dark," Phoebe heard a voice behind her.

"The Witch with the Mark," cooed a second voice.

"The Fates have brought her back from whence she came, returned they have, the Darkness' Dame." A third hissed.

Phoebe sat paralyzed, half in pain, and half in shock. Adrenaline pumped into her system; however, before she had the chance to respond, she was overwhelmed by a premonition.

In her mind's eye, she saw a dark room, a darkness so thick that Phoebe felt it literally press itself around her. She shivered and tried to pull herself out of the premonition, to return to her body, but she could not. The darkness pulled her in, deeper into the vision; she was trapped and had no choice but to lead the dark lead her. She suppressed the rising panic and struggled against it.

In the darkness, three stones lit up, forming a triangle. Inside the triangle was a woman, turned sideways from her, so that all Phoebe saw was the outline of breasts and length of brown hair that wound itself around the woman like a coat. The woman's head was bent over something, and her right arm was moving, stroking. Phoebe heard a melody, and realized that it was coming from this woman- she was humming.

The darkness pulled her deeper, dragging her closer to the woman. As she drew closer, Phoebe saw that there was another figure inside the triangle. It- Phoebe could not determine if the figure was a he or a she- was lying inside the woman's arm, its jet black hair spilling down the woman's lap. Phoebe made the assumption that the woman was stroking the figure's hair.

The darkness continued to drag her deeper, until she was merely inches away from the humming woman. Suddenly, the woman stopped humming, and said in a shrill voice, "Did Daddy bring home a gift?" Her hands continued to stroke the other figure's hair, and slowly turned her head, like a mechanical doll, to face Phoebe.

Phoebe froze in horror as their eyes met- the woman humming was her, and the figure cradled in her lap was Paige, the upper half of her body bloody and torn. She wasn't stroking the figure; she was carving runes on her flesh.

Phoebe felt her stomach heave, and the panic that was struggling inside her finally burst, and a scream tore from her throat.

There were only three things she remembered before the darkness consumed her: the woman waving at her, Paige's empty eyes staring lifelessly at her, and the cackling of three voices calling her name.

And she fell again into the darkness.


	14. Chapter 13 We're Off to See the Phoenix

_Guys, im so sorry for the delay! ive been so busy with work! Hope you like Chapter 13. _

_hugs to all_

"Phoebe, Phoebe," the voice called, getting more loud and more urgent after each syllable. In her mind, Phoebe felt the voice chasing her, hunting her. She tried to put up psychic shields, just like what Leo had taught her before, to protect herself; in her mind's eye, she slowly built an armor of pure white light around her astral body.

Phoebe felt the voice weaken, leaving her alone in the total darkness, the only light coming off from her armor. After a tense heartbeat, the voices returned, and it called out to her with such urgency that Phoebe felt her body shaking, trembling as if hands were both pulling and pushing her in two separate directions. "Phoebe, Phoebe!"

"NO!" Her body shook, and, without warning, she was pulled away from the astral plane, pulled with such an intensity that forced her corporeal body to sit up, suddenly, violently, that colors erupted from behind her eyes, bright and sharp. It was like being pulled out of a premonition, only this time, she had no warning that the premonition was ending.

"NO!" She screamed again, her voice spilling out of her astral form into her physical body.

A wave of nausea followed, and she suddenly did not know which way was up, and which way was down. Faces- she could not determine how many- were swimming in front of her, and she felt hands grab her back and shoulders.

"Phoebe," one of them called, and she tried to suppress the wave of panic that threatened to overwhelm her.

_Focus, _she cajoled herself mentally, her thoughts sluggish but with the last bit of determination brought by adrenaline, _let them think that you're vulnerable, wait for them to lower their guard._

"Phoebe," another called, the voice vaguely familiar.

Closing her eyes, she let her inner senses guide her. As soon as she felt one of the faces- bodies- close enough, she balled her fist and channeled all her remaining strength in it, throwing it up in a lopsided uppercut. She heard a muffled scream, followed by glass shattering. Three sets of voices simultaneously spilled around her.

"Son of a -!" A male voice.

"Leo!" A female voice.

"Ah!" Another female voice.

_Leo? _Phoebe thought, confused and horrified.

One set of hands that were holding her from behind disappeared; and, without it supporting her, the nausea crashed over her again. She almost fell to one side, had it not been for the other pair of hands that immediately replaced the first set.

"Leo?" She called out groggily, as if coming out of trance. Her voice was hoarse, and what came out was _Leeee-yoooh._ She opened her eyes, and tried to focus.

Her focus came to her slowly, choppy, like a badly edited movie. One moment, her eyes registered something, the next, nausea made her dizzy. She saw the walls of the attic, nausea, Paige helping Leo stand, nausea, a redhead sitting beside her, nausea.

Part of her was relieved that she was back in the Manor, back in her own body; part of her was afraid that someone, or something, would whisk her away again, tear her away from her body. "Help me," came a muffled cry from her dry throat.

She saw Paige and Leo rush toward her before her eyes rolled back in her head.

…

Phoebe felt a heavy weight on her chest, pinning her down. She mustered all her strength and pushed, pushed with all she had to fight it. "NO!" She pushed and pushed, and found herself sitting up in the attic, a heavy wool blanket draped around her, staring at the concerned faces of Paige, Leo, and a redhead that she had never seen before. Her eyes stung and her vision began to swim.

"Phoebe!" Paige cried out, reaching out to her sister.

Phoebe began to shiver, her body trembling; tears streaked down her face. Sobs rocked her body as the things she saw began to seep into her consciousness. "Paige? Paige. Paige. Paige." She felt arms wrap around her, tight and warm.

"Sssh, I'm here, ssshhh," Paige said, rocking Phoebe and rubbing her back. "Everything's going to be all right."

Phoebe held Paige close, crying. She held her like she was the last solid thing on earth.

…

After half an hour, Phoebe was able to calm down with the help of two glasses of water, a cup of chamomile tea, and Paige's reassurance that she was still indeed in the attic.

"What happened, Phoebe?" Leo asked, as Phoebe had her third glass of water.

"I…I," Phoebe tried to open her mouth. Flashes of what she had seen and heard echoed through her mind. She swallowed the last of the water from her glass, licked her lips, and began to tell Leo what she saw- Piper, the tress and the runes, the three voices, the triangle. She left the vision of her killing Paige out of the discussion, shuddering as the vision passed through her inner eye. She began to shiver, an icy hand slowly creeping along her arms and spine. She pulled the blanket tighter around her.

"They're getting closer," Leo said as he began to pace. "The fact that they made contact to Phoebe is proof…"

Phoebe felt impatience rush through her, fill her like boiling water. She pushed the blanket away from her, and stood, ignoring the nausea that washed over her as blood began to flow through her body. She stood for a moment, closed her eyes, and steadied herself. Agitation, anger, and frustration made her head hurt, and heart to beat faster. She began to pace the attic as well, and even that failed to help. She opened her mouth, "Proof that we need to act now. All this talking, it's not going to help us one bit."

"I know, Ph…" Leo began, when Phoebe put her hand up and cut him off.

"No, Leo," Phoebe said, "You don't. You don't know any…"

"I think I've found it!" A voice floated from the open door of the attic. "Paige?" A petite girl with red hair in a stylish pixie cut entered the attic, clutching a small leather bound book with a gleaming pentagram on the cover. She stopped at the door, looking at the faces of Paige, Phoebe, and Leo. "Phoebe, you're awake! Thank the Goddess!" She exclaimed and entered the attic, walking towards her and Paige.

"Uh, thanks," Phoebe said, watching the girl, confused. "And you are…"

"Oh," Paige stood, "Phoebe, meet Crystal."

"Crystal," Phoebe repeated. She watched Crystal give a small shy smile, and walk towards the Book of Shadows. "Right. And what is Crystal doing here in the attic and going to our Book of Shadows?"

"Relax, Phoebes, Crystal's a witch, and she's on our side." Paige answered. "She's helping us find the Lair of the Phoenix."

"Oh," Phoebe said.

"And she's also the witch that gave us this." Paige added and lifted a vial of thick crimson liquid. "Her blood."

"Blood…The virgin witch?" Phoebe asked, surprised. "How did you find one? And so soon?"

"I posted a magical ad and ran it through the magical community, and voila, Crystal!"

Phoebe was about to say something when Crystal's voice came from behind them.

"Found the Lair," Crystal said, voice perky and excited, and stood, clutching her scrying amethyst in one hand, notebook and pen in the other. "Ready to go see our Phoenix?"


	15. Chapter 14 Flames of the Phoenix

_A/N: Hi everyone. again, another delay. so sorry!!! but here is Chapter 14 of my Dawn of the Demons. I plan to revive this fic, and I hope to see you all with me :)_

...

"Paige, duck!" Phoebe screamed as she somersaulted, carrying Crystal with her into the air to dodge the barrage of fireballs flying towards them. She felt her power lift the both of them eight feet into the air, carefully dodging both the fireballs and the stalactites of the cave. _Great, take your pick, burned or stabbed, either way, we're both witch-kebab_, she kidded. _Talk about tempers. That's it, Phoebes, keep it up with the funnies. _

Paige dove behind one of the nearby boulders, wincing as some of the fireballs hit the boulder she was using as a shield, causing jagged rock to rain on her bare shoulders. "Crystal! Phoebe!" She flung her hand out and felt her own power reaching out to telekinetically orb the remaining fireballs away from her sister and Crystal. "Get down here!"

Concentrating, Phoebe willed her power to let her and Crystal down slowly, guiding their descent. As they neared the cavern floor, she released her hold on her levitation power and fell beside Paige. She immediately assumed a crouching position, pressing her body to the ground as low as she can. She saw, through her peripheral view, Crystal doing the same. _Good girl._

"What do we do now?" Phoebe shouted over the sound of exploding rock. "I don't think our little Phoenix here is gonna cooperate any time soon." She turned to Paige, who was busy orbing fireballs away, then to Crystal, whose brow was furrowed in concentration.

"Helpful hints wouldn't hurt, girls," Paige said, concentrating on deflecting the Phoenix's fireballs. "Any time now."

Beginning to feel helpless, Phoebe was trying to think of what she can do, when suddenly, she heard Crystal squeaking beside her, mouthing something.

"Despair! That's what we need! Legends say that the heart of the Phoenix can sense despair. It will weep once it feels sadness!" Crystal quipped, eyes enthusiastic, despite the circumstances.

"Great," Phoebe said, "but I don't think our Phoenix here is in a weeping mood." She used the back of her hand to wipe away the sweat and hair from her forehead. She felt the first stirrings of irritation, burning as hot as the flames surrounding the cave. "What do you suggest we do, little Ms. Hot Shot? Huh?"

"I don't know," Crystal sputtered, "This is... this is the first time I've encountered a Phoenix."

"Then you should have thought about that before you got us here, shouldn't you?" Phoebe screamed.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Crystal began to mutter over and over again. Her mouth began to quiver and she pressed her tiny form closer to the boulder but away from Phoebe.

"Phoebe! Stop it!" Paige elbowed Phoebe with her left arm. She was breathing heavily, the strain of keeping them safe by telekinetically orbing fireballs away from them was taking its toll. "What Crystal said just gave me an idea. Remember the spell we cast on Piper when she became a Valkyrie?"

"Yes, I remember," Phoebe answered, picking up on Paige's train of thought. "You think we should open our hearts to the Phoenix and transfer our emotions. Sounds like a plan to me. Paige, start the chant."

"What?" Paige asked, unsure of what Phoebe wanted.

"I said, start the chant. Now."

"What..."

"I said, start. The. Chant. Now."

Squinting, Paige ignored the scathing heat in Phoebe's voice. She focused on remembering the spell. "Open Phoebe's heart to the Phoenix whole," she began, modifying the spell. "Reveal the secret that it holds."

Phoebe leapt high into the air, and stepped on top of the boulder. "Hey, Bird o' Flames! Over here!" She waved her arms above her, calling the attention of the Phoenix. She was careful to close her eyes, not risking the Light of the Phoenix to blind her.

The Phoenix, all ten-feet of it, spread its magnificent red and orange wings, and emitted a high pitched scream. It opened its beak, and reared its head, gaze heavy on Phoebe.

"Paige, do not stop the chant!"

"Bring forth the sadness of sisterly fire, That the Phoenix may feel her true desire."

With the last verse of the spell, Phoebe felt her heart opening, literally, as if hands were tearing a hole through her chest. She fell to her knees; she closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and clenched her hands, trying to withstand the assault of the spell. She felt flames burning in her chest, and wondered briefly if the Phoenix's fireballs had hit her. _Piper, _she whispered, _please hold on_. Images of Piper washed over her- Piper in the Manor, baking her favorite pineapple upside-down cake, Piper in P3, dancing to the club's music, Piper in the attic, so pale and wan, dying slowly. She felt tears fall from her closed eyes, and she wondered if she was dying as well. She opened her eyes, and was vaguely relieved when she saw counting swirling red orbs floating in front of her, instead of finding a hole in her body.

Before the Phoenix had the chance to form fireballs, Phoebe mentally hurled the swirling orbs of memories and feelings into the Phoenix's chest. The orbs flowed to the Phoenix from Phoebe in a steady swirl of energy. The three witches waited with bated breath as the energy struck the Phoenix. The glow that surrounded the Phoenix began to weaken, until only small embers lit the area.

In the blink of an eye, the Light of the Phoenix died down, causing Phoebe, Paige, and Crystal to blink rapidly, their eyes adapting to the sudden loss of light. The Phoenix's wings dropping to its sides, eyes closing.

Minutes passed, and still the witches waited. They held their breaths, afraid that any small movement might break the spell or call the Phoenix's attention.

The Phoenix's chest swelled, heaved, and puffed.

Then three things happened almost simultaneously. Crystal pointed to the Phoenix, seeing the tear that fell from its eyes, Paige looked up and telekinetically orbed the tear to the vial in her hand, and Phoebe snarled, teeth bared. A low growl came from her, and a stream of black orbs sprang from her chest.

"Tear!"

"What?"

"Phoebe!"

"NO!"

Like a swarm of bees, the black orbs began to attack the Phoenix.

"Phoebe! What are you doing?" Paige scrambled out of their hiding place and tried to reach her sister. "We're leaving now!"

The Phoenix began to screech again, gigantic golden wings flapping, causing gusts of wind to swirl around the cave and embers to shower on the Charmed Ones.

"Why, my dear Charmed One, Phoebe is no longer here." Phoebe's head turned, her voice echoed over the Phoenix's screams, as coarse and thick as gravel. Her eyes had bled to black, completely drowning the whites of her eyes, like spilled tar. She smiled, black eyes staring intently at Paige. She waved her hand and telekinetically sent Paige flying. She looked at Crystal and winked. "Bye now." Phoebe sent Crystal flying next, and the young witch slumped next to Paige with a loud thud.

Phoebe turned back to the Phoenix, mouth opened in a soundless scream, eyes black and determined. She raised her hands above her head, palms up, and started to chant, a spell in Latin rolling smoothly from her tongue. A ball of black energy began to form in her form, growing bigger as she chanted louder.

The Phoenix reared its head back, and without warning, shot Phoebe with a steady blast of golden-white flame.

"PHOEBE!" Paige screamed and scrambled forward, putting herself in the line of fire. Crystal pushed her out of the way, and tried to hold her.

Paige's head hit the side of the boulder, and all she remembered before losing consciousness was the heat. The smell of burning flesh and hair.

And the scream of her sister.


	16. Chapter 15 What Happens Now

_Hi everyone, finally a new update. will be updating more actively now. I hope you still remember me and my story._

Paige heard a voice calling to her in the dark. Weak. Pleading. "Paige, wake up," came a small voice, made thinner by fear and concern. "Paige, please?"

_Innocent_, Paige felt her instincts pulling at her, drawing her to consciousness. The need to protect innocents waking her. _Innocent_. _Crystal? _Slowly, she willed her eyes to open, slowly being aware of a faint throbbing in her left temple. Colors assaulted her eyes and she immediately shut her eyes again. Then the memory of everything that happened in the Phoenix Lair came flooding through her mind like an angry river.

"PHOEBE!" She jumped her feet

"Relax, Paige. Relax. Phoebe's here," the small voice answered, soothing her. "She's all right, everything's all right. The question is, how are you?"

Paige opened her eyes completely, and realized that she was back in the attic. Crystal was crouched beside her, eyes wet with worry, watching her. "Like I was thrown through a brick wall," she said, and looked at the young witch, "news flash, it hurts." She looked around the attic, "Where's Phoebe?"

"I'm right here, Paige, exactly where I need to be," Phoebe said, appearing seemingly out of nowhere behind Crystal. She crouched on the floor as well, and wrapped her arm around the younger witch. "Where else will I be?" She smiled at Paige, teeth bared, completely surprising the youngest Charmed One.

"Phoebe? I thought…" Paige stopped, and stared at Phoebe quizzically. She was expecting burn marks and singed hair, but Phoebe looked, for a lack of a better term, normal. _Something doesn't feel right_. She continued staring at Phoebe, trying to find something, anything, a clue that might justify her unease. "Phoebe, I," she started.

"You thought what?" Phoebe asked, in a singsong voice, still smiling at Paige. "You thought, what, Paige?"

Paige closed her eyes and shook her head. The memory of Phoebe burning was still fresh in her mind; she could practically still hear Phoebe screaming in pain and smell her burning flesh. _How can this be?_ She thought uneasily. _Maybe Leo had healed her?_ She looked around the attic; Leo wasn't there. "I…I,"

"I…I" Phoebe mirrored, still in the same singsong voice with the same eerie smile on her face. "You hit your head pretty hard there, Paige," Phoebe said, "Could've damaged your thinking and talking skills."

"Phoebe, stop," Paige said, slowly getting frustrated and annoyed. She finally found her voice and continued, "What's going on? I saw you burning. I heard you screaming. I smelled your burning body. Crystal and I both saw you!" She looked to Crystal for support, but only got a blank face from the young witch instead.

"Oh, is that what's bothering you, Paige? You worry too much," Phoebe scoffed. "Let's just say I got better."

"Got better?" Paige breathed in disbelief. "Believe me, I'm glad that you're okay, Phoebe. But you were basically cooked. Cooked and cremated. How do you get better from that?"

"Well, seeing that Leo wasn't," Phoebe looked away, thinking of a better word. She looked back at Paige and said, "Well, let's just say Leo wasn't available to heal me. So I had to be resourceful. And this witch here has been so helpful." She dragged her vowels and her mouth lifted into a mischievous curl.

"Crystal?" Paige's eyes shifted to the young witch, and suddenly realized that her eyes were unmoving, staring straight at Paige blankly, her mouth open in a soft O. Her body slowly slumped forward, motionless, dead; blood seeping through her sunflower-printed dress from her chest.

"Well, Paige, since she donated her blood, I thought she wouldn't mind if I borrowed her heart for a while," Phoebe stood up, her left hand bloody, gently cupping a still beating heart. "Silly me." She put the heart in front of her lips and took a deep breath. "Ah, yes, the smell of fresh beating heart. Yummy." Her voice became thicker, sluggish, drunk. Phoebe offered the cupped heart to Paige, delight and rapture in her eyes, "You want a sip?"

"Phoebe?" Paige stood, and slowly moved away from Phoebe. She distanced herself, putting the couch and potion table in between them.

"I'm sorry, who? Oh, you mean the Charmed One. She's not here right now. Would you like to leave a message?"

"Who are you and what have you done to Phoebe?"

"Step away from her, Paige," a voice suddenly said from behind Paige. It was Leo, his voice guarded and tense.

"Leo? What's going on?"

Leo pulled her from behind and threw a blue crystal between them and Phoebe. "Crystal of Protection, I call upon your powers of defense. Activate!" The crystal flashed thrice and a wall of blue light separated Phoebe from Paige and Leo. "That's not your sister anymore, Paige."

"Really, what gave me away?" Phoebe's mouth was moving, but it was not her voice that came out. She opened her mouth and laughed, the heavy sound echoing throughout the entire attic. "Bye now." To Leo's and Paige's surprise, Phoebe's body turned into smoke, blacker than anything they had encountered, and dissipated from the attic.

"Well I'll be darned," Paige said, suddenly feeling very tired. She leaned against Leo for support and shook her head. "I guess that leaves me the last Halliwell standing."


	17. Chapter 16 Three Sisters, One Destiny

_Everyone, here is Chapter 16. Thank you so much for waiting for the updates. Life has been a rollercoaster lately, but I'm committed to finish this fic. Thank you so much!_

"Sacrifice? What else do they expect me to sacrifice, Prue?" Piper continued. "We lost Mom, Grams, and you already, for crying out loud!" She realized she was screaming, but she did not care. _The Elders have put us through so much, I don't freaking care!_

"Have you, Piper? Think about it. I'm still here. You're still talking to me. Have you truly sacrificed for the greater good?" Prue said, pulling her younger sister close. She took both of Piper's hands in hers, and smiled. "I am angry too, Piper, but this is not about me; nor is it about you. This is about the entire family, the Warren line, and our destiny."

"But, Prue," Piper protested.

"Listen to me, Piper. We don't have much time. Phoebe and Paige need you, and you are not meant to stay here for a long time. You have to prepare now."

"Prepare? For what? Am I supposed to bury Phoebe and Paige too?" Piper said, exasperated. She felt her heart pounding hard in her chest which meant that _I'm not that dead after all. _

"The test. The test that will determine the fate of the Charmed destiny."

…

The enormity of what happened fell on Paige like waves, crashing through her relentlessly. Emotions washed over her like a tidal wave, drowning her from the inside.

_I'm the only one left._

_Crystal is dead; we just lost an innocent._

_Phoebe… Phoebe is… _

_Piper. We. I have to save Piper._

_Crystal. Phoebe. Piper._

For a moment, she lost her balance and almost fell if Leo had not rushed forward and caught her.

"I… Crystal…Phoebe… Piper." Paige stammered, as Leo guided her to the couch.

"You better sit down, Paige, this is too much." Leo said, his voice hoarse, concerned and tense at the same time.

"I…" Paige continued, dragging her feet as Leo carried her. She tripped over something hard, looked down, confused. At first, she thought that there were inkblots on the floor, like twisted Rorschach shapes, then realized what it was as she saw Crystal's body. "Blood. There's too much blood on the floor, Leo," she said, tired and weakly, almost lifeless. "Piper; she won't like that." She slowly broke free from Leo's grip, and knelt by Crystal's body. "Too much blood. There's too much."

"Paige."

She gingerly put her hands on Crystal's face and closed the dead witch's eyes, even as she felt tears streaming down hers. _I'm so sorry, Crystal. I'm so sorry. _She heard herself, from a faraway place, calling for a rug, and felt a wet cloth materialize in her hand. She felt her body move, like on auto-pilot, and wipe the floor. "Too much blood, too much blood. There's too much blood."

When most of the blood has been wiped clean, Paige used the back of her hand to wipe her nose. She stood up and dropped the blood-stained cloth carelessly. She stared at the floor, smeared with half-dry blood, and Crystal's lifeless body. Without hesitating, she reached her hands out, and called "Magic School, the Chamber of the Silenced!" She just stared as Crystal's body disappeared in a swirl of bright light.

"Paige," Leo began again.

"The Priestess will know what to do, Leo. She will take care of her; care that we as the Charmed Ones obviously couldn't give her." She began to walk to the potions table, "We… I have work to do. I have to save Piper and get Phoebe back." Her voice was flat, but she didn't care. She began to gather the vial of vampire saliva, the vial of Phoenix tear, and the wet cloth with Crystal's blood. "I have to get them back."

…

"Welcome Sister, back to the fold," the First Evil Sister said, walking towards the naked body in the circle's center. "We shall bring back the destruction as of old."

"The Heavens shall weep tears of crimson," the Second Evil Sister followed, tracing runes above the naked body in the circle's center. "The very stars will explode with poison."

"And the world Herself shall know our power," the Third Evil Sister continued, draping a cloak woven from evil magic on the naked body in the circle's center. "She will bow down to us in the darkest hour."

The body in the center of the circle rose, slowly, taking in the darkness surrounding her. _I am home, finally_, she thought, and looked at the three sisters surrounding her. "From darkness I was cast, and darkness I borne, their world now we shall render torn. Drink their magic and drink their blood, feast on their bones, while our magic grows." She stood up and kissed the hands of the sisters in turn.

"Phoebe Halliwell is no more. And the Charmed Circle is finally broken."


	18. Chapter 17 Last Witch Standing

"As with the Gods, Piper," Prue began to explain as she walked with Piper to an isolated part of Persephone's Garden, "you have to prove yourself worthy, worthy of your powers, worthy of your Craft, and most importantly, worthy of yourself. Defeat this opponent, or it will destroy you."

Piper stared at Prue, half amused, half confused. "Okay, really, Prue? This mystical mumbo-jumbo? It doesn't suit you." She smiled at her older sister and started teasing her, as Prue led her deeper into the Garden. She noticed that the trees in this part were taller and thicker; their leaves, bigger and darker. There were no flowers, only thorny shoots of plants and herbs that she did not recognize, but knew instinctively were poisonous. "Prue, where are we?" She asked as Prue stopped walking, and stood in front of a small clearing.

"Being dead for so long has gotten me accustomed to this new destiny, but you can't afford that luxury, obviously," she paused and smiled, a little bit of her humor peeking through.

"Gee, you think?" Piper shot back. _God, I miss you so much, Prue. Why can't I just stay here with you?_

"I do," Prue replied, her face turning serious. "Now, listen to me carefully, Piper. This is very important. You have but one foe in there, waiting for you, and you must destroy it. Otherwise, all will be lost."

"Just one?" Piper snorted, "What, one demon? One warlock? That all the gods can do? Not to brag, but, did you see the five Glass Demons I vanquished with one flick of my hand?" She recalled one instance where she and her sisters saved Sheila and Daryl from a demonic clan that targeted Daryl.

"This will be different, Piper," Prue continued, "trust me. This foe will be the fiercest, most dangerous enemy that you will ever face. And you cannot vanquish it with your power. If you do, then you will fail this test. You enter this test, not as a Witch, but as a sister. With this." With a small gesture of her palms, Prue conjured a small dagger with a dark green handle. "You must kill your foe, Piper, no matter what."

"What? No powers?" Piper said, as the seriousness of the task that awaited her began to sink in.

"No powers."

"Crap."

…

"Once the second potion is delivered,

The poison shall soon be conquered.

A test the afflicted soul shall undertake,

The outcome is her decision to make."

"What?" Paige stopped, frustrated and confused at the last part of the potion. "A test? A… test? Are you kidding me?" She screamed this at the heavens, willing the Elders to hear her anger. "We've been through every single test in the book! And passed!"

"Paige," Leo began, trying to calm his sister-in-law.

"No, Leo," Paige said, whipping around to face her Whitelighter and brother-in-law. "What, they," Paige paused to emphasize and pointed upwards, "are bored again? What, time to pick up the remote to watch the "Charmed" show? This is our lives they're messing with, Leo, and I won't sit back and just watch us get picked off one by one. I have to do something."

"I know that, Paige, you think I enjoy standing here and doing nothing? My powers won't work on this poison, and the scroll just decided to stop helping. I'm very frustrated too!"

"I'm sorry, Leo," Paige replied, realizing how Leo felt- as frustrated and angry as she was. "I… Wait a minute," her face lit up, an idea forming in her head.

"What?" Leo asked, surprised, and walked towards Paige.

"Something about what you said made me think of something. Your powers might not work- no offense, Leo- but we haven't tried my Witch powers. All we've done so far is summon ghosts, go after magical beings, and gather all these things."

"What are you thinking?" Leo said, folding his arms and listening intently.

"I remember Phoebe telling me that something like this has happened; Piper got poisoned, but she and Prue were able to transfer the poison to a puppet. Right?"

"Right," Leo remembered; this had happened a long time ago, when the Elders had tried separating them and had assigned Leo to other charges. "I remember. I also remember the magic backfiring on innocents. It's too risky, Paige." The spell had transferred the poison from Piper to the hospital staff that had come into contact with Piper.

"Look around you, Leo. The only people here in the attic are us, and we're hardly innocent. Besides, can you think of anything else that we can do?"

Leo tried to think of something less risky, but nothing came to mind; his Whitelighter powers were not strong enough to overcome the demon's poison. "Go for it, Paige."

"All rightie then," Paige said, taking a deep breath and rubbing her hands together. She walked towards the Book of Shadows. "I don't want to overdose Piper with more potions, because let's face it; we've given her the equivalent of a gazillion antibiotics already. I'm going to try healing spells this time, make them speed up the healing process or something."

Paige scanned the Book of Shadows, running her fingers down each page and each spell, taking lines from ones she felt powerful enough to save Piper. She ran across her fingers on different spells, like the Awakening Spell, Snow White's Poison Spell, Spring Water Purification Spell, among others, and began forming a spell in her mind.

While Paige was reading, Leo was pacing. He had one hand under his chin, scratching intently, his brows furrowed in concentration. His footsteps echoed loudly in the quiet attic, and Paige called him out for it.

"Hey, Leo, ease up on the floorboard tapping. I'm trying to save your wife here," Paige said, shaking her head. Her hands were on the Poison Purge Spell, and she took a line from that too. "What's eating you?"

"Exactly that, Paige. We're both up here trying to save Piper; who's gonna save Phoebe?"


	19. Chapter 18 Three Parts of the Triquetra

"This," hissed the first sister, leading the way to a small dark cave within the cavern, "is your new home; the dwelling your soul shall roam."

"Rest and prepare, your soul and body," the second followed, carrying three vials of dark liquid to a table in the center of the cave. "Dark sister, for a test, you shall soon be ready."

"Then, your bonds shall break," the third sister's gaseous body glowed, and a dark green fire erupted from her, "and your heart shall swell with evil and hate." The green flame shot around them, magically igniting the walls with sparks, until the small cave glowed.

"A test, sisters?" Phoebe said in her new body, her new voice- it was the sound of forks raking down metal. She ran her new hands down her arms, studying the new claws that replaced her fingernails. "What about the gods and the elders? I want to play. I want to break their bones and play with their broken bodies." She giggled and pouted, looking at the three evil sisters. "Stab them, spike them, drink their blood," she chanted in a singsong voice.

"Patience, my little beast," answered the first sister as she laid a green scaly hand on Phoebe's shoulder. "Soon on their souls you shall feast." Her naked breasts swung loosely from her chest, her snake tail swaying in anticipation.

"But I'm hungry. I hunger, mommy." Phoebe said petulantly, her claws growing longer. She rubbed her stomach, where blood red scales suddenly erupted. "My babies are hungry."

"Turn your sights on these vials black," crooned the second sister, her feathered wings flapping behind her. "They contain the souls of a werewolf pack."

Upon hearing this, Phoebe's once warm and rich brown eyes glowed a bright yellow in excitement. "Ooh. Yummy," she whispered, and levitated to the second sister. "Ooh. Mommy brought Phoebe a present, gimme." She grabbed the three vials and drank the black liquid hungrily. Her body shuddered and shook in pleasure, and her voice dropped to a low purr. "I want more, mommy," emphasizing the "r" in "more" and elongating the o in "mommy."

"A playmate to you we shall impart," the third sister's voice floated around them as her dark green flame glowed brighter, making their shadows dance wildly around the cave. "Now your madness can truly start." The entire cave exploded with her green light, and a hunched figure, chained and naked and slick with sweat, appeared before Phoebe.

"A playmate?" She squealed in delight. Phoebe levitated forward, feeling the eyes of the evil sisters on her; when suddenly, the hunched figure bent its neck up and looked at her. A sliver of consciousness shook her, and she fell. Her yellow eyes flashed back to warm brown as they fell on the hunched figure in front of her, and her blood turned ice-cold.

"Cole?"

…

"Woah," Paige started as the pages of the Book of Shadows flipped by itself again, as if being blown by the wind. "Again? How am I supposed to finish this freaking healing spell when you keep flipping?" She had been reading through the Book of Shadows, working on her plan to help Piper, when it started flipping every time she had picked a specific spell. "Every freakin time," she muttered in frustration.

"Hard as it sounds, Paige," Leo said, "but try to calm down. You can do this." Although lacking Phoebe's empathic power, Leo knew his sister-in-law well enough to know that she was on the verge of a breakdown.

"I'm tired, Leo; I haven't slept in two days, we're neck-deep in mystical crap, this scroll's useless, and my sisters are gone! Well, Piper's here, but she's not, because she's poisoned, and Phoebe, well Phoebe's not really here, but she's somewhere, do you get that? Because I certainly can't. But I have to. And what about me? Me? I am all alone and in a desperate need of a shower. A shower, Leo! Is that too much to ask for?" She snapped, closing the Book, only to be frustrated some more as it flipped open on its own, hitting Paige's hands.

"Paige, step away from the Book," Leo said, his voice calm and soothing.

"I…"

"Do it, Paige. Trust me." Leo interrupted, "Close your eyes and go to that place, that one quiet moment before you orb. Breathe in the peace, the white lights. Calm your thoughts."

Although Paige was tense and found it difficult to concentrate, she closed the Book of Shadows and stepped away. She closed her eyes and listened to Leo's voice. She did as she was told and, easing her thoughts, went into a meditative state, filling her mind's eye with white light.

"That's it," Leo continued. "Breathe the white light in."

Paige felt her inner being fill with energy; she was free, relaxed, when suddenly, an inner voice told her to open her eyes. At the same exact moment she opened her eyes, the Book of Shadows blew open once more, its pages opening firmly on the intricate calligraphy of the one spell that Paige needed but cannot cast – "The Power of Three."

…

_You call this a test?_ Piper thought as she lunged towards her enemy, making quick stabbing motions with the dagger Prue had given her. _The armor's not even that hard to penetrate._ Blood blossomed from where she stabbed. _Blood? _

Her opponent, a figure wearing an ice blue armor, had stepped out of the shadows, just as Piper had begun to understand where she was. As soon as she had realized that she was in the Garden of Mnemosyne, the Goddess of Memory, a huge sword had swung from behind and had almost decapitated her.

Sidestepping, she skillfully dodged the armored figure's sword and was immediately standing behind it. She instinctively followed it with a strong kick, aiming for the back of the armored figure's knees. As the armored figure fell on its knees, Piper was suddenly reminded of Phoebe_. _It was her younger sister who had taught her that kick, in one of their martial arts training sessions in the Manor's basement.

"Not so tough, are you?" Piper mumbled. "So sick and tired of these darn tests. Let's see who you are underneath this armor, before I kick your butt." She put her arm around the armored figure's neck, and with her left hand, removed its helmet off.

Long jet-black hair flowed from the helmet, like a river of black, glinting shiny under the sun. The smell of lavender and rose assaulted Piper's nose, a faint memory stirring.

"Finish me," the figure said in a voice that Piper suddenly recognized. Before she had the chance to complete her thoughts, the figure turned around, its icy blue eyes staring straight into Piper's.

"PRUE?"


	20. Chapter 19 The Power of One Plus One

_**A/N: It took me more than two years to finally write a new chapter for this story. And for that I am truly sorry. But for everyone who feels that this fic is still an interesting read, thank you. This new chapter is for you.**_

"I have the Power of One, Leo! How can I possibly cast this spell? One," Paige continued, lifting her index finger for emphasis. "One."

"The Book wouldn't have led the spell to you if you didn't have the power or the knowledge to cast it, Paige. You and I both know that."

"It's good to know that you and the Book are on the same page." Frustrated, Paige groaned and rubbed her face with both hands, trying to figure out how to cast the Power of Three spell by herself, knowing full well that Power of Three spells required the power of, well, the three Charmed Ones. Forcing her eyes to look at the intricate calligraphy of the spell again, Paige hoped to find a clue, an answer, _heck, I'd take anything right now_, she added desperately.

"The Power of Three will set us FREE." The entire verse was written in gold ink three times in a delicate penmanship and occupied the whole page. She studied the page carefully, and suddenly noticed, for the first time, that the word "free" was emphasized in capital letters. "What the?"

"What?" Leo asked.

As if played in fast forward, the words of the spell suddenly made sense to Paige, and what she needed to do became very clear to her. "Well, light my cauldron and haul my broomstick, Leo, I think I know exactly what to do." She grabbed a fresh sheet of paper and a pen, quickly writing down the words of a spell.

…

"Prue I'm sorry, Prue!" Piper panicked as blood continued to seep through Prue's armor. _Not again_, Piper prayed, _Please not again. _She used the dagger Prue had given her for her test to tear a piece of her shirt off, and used it to apply pressure on Prue's wound. "I didn't know. Prue, I'm so sorry."

Prue smiled weakly at her, and snapped her fingers; her armor magically disappeared, leaving only her bloodied cloak. "That's okay Piper. You got me. That was the test. It's time you cut me away, completely. Think about it, Piper. We are in the Garden of Memory. Every detail, every scent, every sight reminds you of me. The memory of me is holding you back, Piper. This is magic's way of helping you move on. This… all of this is my gift to you, my lovely sister."

The Garden slowly faded, the shrubs, trees, flowers, even the clear blue sky became blurry, until Piper found herself standing at the mouth of a tunnel, with Prue standing in front of her, smiling and whole.

"It's not fair," Piper's tears continued to run down her cheeks as she looked at Prue, taking her in with her eyes- the way her dark hair shone, the way she held herself. "I really miss you, Prue."

"And I miss you, too," Prue drew Piper in and hugged her tight. "But you have to let me go." She broke their hug and pointed at Piper's chest, the area above her heart. "I will always be here, no matter what happens. But," she paused, and pointed at Piper's head, "I can no longer live there. You have to accept that I am gone, and that another needs you."

Prue began to fade, and Piper began to hear voices around them, familiar voices, speaking familiar words. _A spell. Someone's chanting, _Piper realized. Over the growing din of spell-casting, Piper saw Prue's move in a silent "I love you," and resignedly, she mouthed a sorrowful "I love you too" before a hole opened from beneath her and sucked her into darkness.

…

"I call upon the Power of Three,

To cut the binds, and set her free."

Standing over Piper's still form, Paige began to chant as she held the scroll that held the healing spell in front of her. With one swift motion, she cut the brittle parchment in two with her athame, and continued her spell.

"Cleanse her of this poison so black,

Release my sister, send her back."

She gingerly dropped the torn scroll inside their cauldron and set it on fire.

"Take this spell, touch her heart,

Mix them together, cause both to start.

The Power of Three will set us free."

Small orbs of silver and golden light rained down on Piper's still form, and in the span of a heartbeat, her body shook and a small gasp erupted from her lips. She opened her eyes gingerly, her heart beating fast, her pulse faster. Her eyes landed on two familiar faces, and despite the lethargy and weakness that enveloped her, she found herself smiling.

"Welcome back, sis," Paige smiled triumphantly.


End file.
